One of the worst lies you tell yourself: “I just need to gather more information.”
Carl Jung coined the archetype of Puer Aeternus (Latin for the "eternal boy") as an adult who lives in a constant state of boyhood, with a fear of commitment and an obsession with preparation for action that never comes.
The modern world has made it easier than ever to fall into the Puer Aeturnus trap. Information gathering has become sport. Research, studying, learning, planning. All of it jammed into neat little dopamine feedback loops that convince you that you're doing something productive and valuable.
You're just one piece of information away from the big breakthrough. You'll start the business when your business plan is perfected. You'll meet your partner when you've scrolled through another round of profiles. You'll get that dream job when you have one more degree in hand.
I've been there. I was Puer Aeternus. Until I realized that the world wasn't being run by a bunch of geniuses with 47 PhDs and 170 IQs. The world was being run by a bunch of normal people with abnormal bias for action.
The opportunity you seek is floating around at all times. But you have to take action to seize it. Dopamine from information gathering is a dangerous drug. Get your dopamine from action.
Here is how to make an electricity-free fridge to keep your foodstuffs fresh for up to 4 weeks.
Take a smaller pot and place it inside a bigger pot. Fill the space between them with wet sand and cover the top with a wet cloth.
This keeps your vegetables fresh. Let’s go natural.
An Open Letter to Fulani Leaders Across Nigeria
To Fulani traditional leaders, community leaders, religious leaders, youth leaders and all those who carry influence within Fulani communities across Nigeria,
At this critical moment in our nation's history, I write with sincerity, concern and a genuine desire for peace, security and mutual understanding among all our peoples.
Nigeria is passing through one of the most difficult security challenges in its history. Terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, violent criminality and communal tensions have created an atmosphere of fear, suspicion and uncertainty across many parts of the country.
In the Southwest, this anxiety has become particularly intense. The ordinary Yorùbá person is not naturally disturbed by the sight of a Fulani man or woman, nor by the presence of people from any other ethnic group. Yorùbá land has historically welcomed people from different backgrounds and accommodated diverse communities in peace.
However, over the years, a series of developments have changed perceptions and heightened fears.
The destruction of farmlands by some herders, violent attacks on farmers, recurring clashes between herders and host communities, kidnappings linked to criminal groups operating from forests, and the growing presence of terrorists and armed criminals have collectively eroded trust.
Whether fair or unfair, many ordinary people now associate isolated forests, unregulated settlements and unfamiliar movements with insecurity. The result is a dangerous atmosphere of paranoia that affects innocent people alongside the guilty.
This should concern all of us.
Recent history has shown how quickly fear can produce tragic outcomes. We all remember the heartbreaking incident in Uromi, where innocent hunters were gruesomely killed after being wrongly accused of being terrorists. Their families continue to bear the pain of that tragedy.
May Allah forgive them, have mercy upon them and grant comfort to their loved ones.
Such incidents remind us that when fear, suspicion and misinformation replace trust and cooperation, innocent lives are endangered.
This is why Fulani leaders across Nigeria have an important role to play in helping to avert future disasters.
The responsibility of leadership extends beyond defending one's people. It also includes helping communities live peacefully with their neighbours and ensuring that criminals do not hide among innocent citizens.
I therefore respectfully appeal for the following:
- Strengthen engagement with host communities across the Southwest and other parts of Nigeria.
- Encourage the registration and proper documentation of Fulani settlements and herding communities where appropriate under the law.
- Build formal communication channels with traditional rulers, local governments, security agencies and community leaders.
- Encourage members of your communities to report suspicious activities and unusual movements.
- Publicly dissociate innocent Fulani communities from terrorists, kidnappers and criminal gangs.
- Cooperate fully with security agencies in identifying and exposing criminal elements.
- Discourage the destruction of farms, encroachment on private property and all actions capable of generating conflict.
- Promote ranching and modern livestock management systems that reduce friction between farmers and herders.
- Ensure that criminals find no refuge, protection or sympathy within your communities.
The vast majority of Fulani people are not terrorists.
The vast majority are not kidnappers.
The vast majority are not criminals.
Yet the actions of a few have created a perception that now threatens the safety and wellbeing of many innocent Fulani citizens.
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@IdrisAOni1 Amin Ya-Robbul-Alamin 🙏🏾. I use that moment as tawāsul for my parents as well, especially my mom who recently passed away 😞. Ya Allah! Grant them both forgiveness and touch light their graves. Amin Ya-Robbul-Alamin 🙏🏾