Art x Adẹ

Jesus sat quietly near the temple treasury and watched people as thry brought their offerings.  The wealthy came and gave generously, and the sound of their substantial contributions must have attracted everyone's attention.  Then came a poor widow who placed just two tiny coins into the treasury. The amount was so insignificant that, by ordinary standards, it could hardly be called a meaningful giving. Yet Jesus saw something others did not. The wealthy had given from their abundance. Their gifts were large, but giving them did not threaten their wealth. The widow, however, had almost nothing. She was poor. Those two coins represented everything she possessed. Her gift was small in quantity, but immense in meaning. Therein lies the philosophical wisdom of this timeless biblical story. Human beings have a natural tendency to measure worth by quantity: wealth, status, possessions, achievements, influence and numbers.  We often assume that the person who gives t...

“Igi gógóró má gun mi lójú, òkèrè là ti ńwò ó.” “A tall tree should not poke my eyes; it is from a distance that we behold it.” There are people in life whose behaviour, words and attitudes can become toxic to our peace of mind. We may wish to understand them, change them, or remain close to them because of affection, history or obligation. But wisdom sometimes lies not in confrontation, but in distance. Just as we admire a thorny tree from afar without allowing its branches to wound us, we can learn to keep a healthy psychological distance from those whose toxicity repeatedly hurts us. Distance is not always hatred, resentment or rejection; sometimes, it is self-preservation. We cannot always control how others behave, but we can choose how close we allow their behaviour to come to our hearts. Some people are best loved from a distance, some understood from a distance, and some simply left at a distance. Keeping psychological distance from toxic people is knowing that prot...

When we feel hungry, the stomach is not simply sending a command to fill it with whatever will silence the hunger. It is an invitation to nourish the body with the right food: food that will help the entire system function at its best, providing strength, health and wellbeing. But, I see a deeper lesson here. Not everything that satisfies a craving necessarily serves our wellbeing. In life, we are constantly confronted with appetites,  not only for food, but for money, recognition, power, success, pleasure and acceptance. The temptation is often to satisfy these appetites with whatever is immediately comes our way, without considering the consequences. Yet, just as the body needs the right nourishment to remain healthy, the mind, character and soul need the right values to remain strong. Hunger may tell us that we need to eat, but wisdom tells us what is worth consuming. Perhaps this is one of life's greatest lessons: learning to distinguish between what satisfies us mo...

In my search for a truly just and righteous person, one of the most inspiring narratives I have encountered is the story of Socrates and his lamp. It is said that one day, in broad daylight, Socrates was walking through the streets of Athens carrying a lantern in his hand. His unusual behaviour caught the attention of those around him. A passer-by, curious about what he was doing, stopped and asked: “Socrates, what are you looking for?” Socrates continued looking around with his lamp and replied: “I am looking for a just man.” The man, surprised by the answer, asked why he needed a lamp in broad daylight to find a just man. Socrates' response was, in essence: “Although Athens is filled with people, I cannot find a truly just and honest person.” The story is thought-provoking. Many people may appear good, honest and just, but how many genuinely live by those principles when tested?  The same make-believe lifestyle that Socrates observed among some of the people of his ti...

Integrity is a subject I believe should be taught from kindergarten through to university. Children should learn from an early age that integrity means doing what is right even when nobody is watching; keeping their word; taking responsibility for their actions; treating others fairly; and having the courage to stand by what they know to be right. Academic excellence may open doors, but character determines what a person does once those doors are opened. If we want to build individuals, institutions and societies that can be trusted, integrity cannot be left to chance. It must be deliberately taught, modelled and reinforced throughout a person's education.

Should a person's performance be judged or measured against a standard that is above the requirements of the role they were originally employed to fill? Again, the case of the late Professor Jason Arday continues to intrigue me. He was reportedly diagnosed with autism at the age of three, could not speak until he was 11, and only began reading and writing at 18. Despite these significant developmental challenges, he went on to obtain a degree, a master's degree and a PhD from reputable British universities. Considering what we have learned about autism and the wide range of ways in which it can affect individuals, Arday applied for his academic position, was interviewed and went through the institution's established selection processes. One would therefore assume that his circumstances and abilities were considered by those responsible for his appointment and that, having satisfied the requirements, he was deemed suitable for the role. What I find particularly t...