The dangerous IQ range. Not smart enough to have a bright life changing idea. Only smart enough to over analyse and think of 1000 ways why your plan won't work. That dangerous IQ range usually comes with a paralysing lack of agency. In the real world its far better to be average or a bit below average than to be in that state.
Celebrating My Eldest Brother at 75
Today, 30th August 2026, I celebrate my eldest brother, Dominic Ositadimma Obi, who turns 75. I celebrate him not merely because he is my elder brother or because of his age, but because he is an exemplary human being.
When I was Governor of Anambra State for eight years, he never came to my office or the Governor’s Lodge for a day seeking favours, as many might have expected. He is a planner and contractor who builds homes for people, yet not once did he ask me for a government contract.
Whenever we met, he would warmly embrace me and tell me that he was fine. He would then solemnly remind me to keep doing what I promised the people and never bring a bad name to the family and my community. He would tell me that whatever difficulties he was going through, many others were worse off, and that I should do my best for society.
I later came to understand that this was not peculiar to him alone. My family members had actually held a meeting and resolved that none of them would take advantage of my position as Governor. They decided that whatever good name I was building for the Obi family and Agulu must be protected. The same principle extended to my children.
Today, at 75, my beloved brother remains deeply concerned about Nigeria. Whenever we speak, he is full of prayers and good wishes. He constantly reminds me that if I have the opportunity to serve Nigeria, I should do so with honesty, integrity, and the interest of the people at heart.
Brother Dom, I thank God for the gift of your life and for the example you have set for our family. Your integrity, humility, contentment, and sense of responsibility are qualities worthy of celebration.
May God Almighty, who has graciously been with you all these years, grant you good health, His abundant grace, and blessings.
Happy 75th birthday, my dearest brother. -PO
하버드 심리학자의 글 중 와닿는 내용
“25세가 될 때까지 이룬 것이 없다면, 가장 큰 환상 중 하나에서 벗어난 것이다.”
이유는,
• 20대엔 자신의 가치를 증명하기 위해 타인의 인정만을 갈구하게 되고, ‘조급함’ 때문에 타인이 정해놓은 길을 가곤 함.
• 지금 ‘뒤처졌다’는 느낌은 ‘실패’가 아닌, 다른 사람들이 놓친 것을 얻고 더 나은 결정으로 이어진다는 것.
(나만의 관점, 인내심, 무엇이 중요한지에 대한 명확한 기준)
강의의 마지막 메시지:
“25살에 인생을 완벽히 이해해��� 하는 것은 아니다. 여러분은 자신이 아닌 사람을 발견하도록 되어있다.”
A HARVARD psychologist says: “if you’ve achieved nothing by 25, you’ve avoided the most destructive illusion of youth”
> In 2021, a Harvard psychologist surprised a lecture hall with an unexpected statement:
“If you haven’t accomplished much by 25, you may have escaped one of youth’s biggest illusions.”
At first, the room laughed.
She wasn’t kidding.
> The illusion of early success.
In your early 20s, the brain seeks quick proof of worth ~status, attention, rapid achievements.
But psychologists warn that chasing recognition too soon can lock people into roles or paths they never consciously chose.
They decide too early… and spend years trying to undo it.
> The exploration phase.
Research on career development suggests that people who explore more before 30 often build stronger long-term directions.
Testing ideas.
Making mistakes in public.
Changing course.
At 25 it looks like confusion ….but by 35 it often turns into clarity.
People who feel “behind” in their mid-20s frequently gain something others miss:
Perspective.
Patience.
And a clearer sense of what truly matters to them.
That foundation often leads to better decisions later on.
At the end of the lecture, the psychologist left the students with one final thought:
“You’re not meant to have life fully figured out at 25.”
“You’re meant to discover who you’re not.”
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If you've ever wondered why you wake up with a blocked nose and catarrh every time you sleep with the AC on, it's likely not the cold.
There might be mold and dust growing inside that AC unit because the internal parts are damp. You're basically breathing in germs all night.
The primary measure of value to the average Nigerian is money. So, the Yahoo boy who has built 3 houses and bought 4 cars from scamming people has achieved more than the Professor of Medicine with 50 publications and a rented apartment.
So, what chance does the bartender, taxi driver, receptionist, carpenter, tailor, or nurse all doing honest work have to be regarded as accomplished by the average Nigerian? Any lout with money can ask them, "Do you know who I am?" and even pay the police to lock them up for daring to ask "Who are you?"
And you wonder why everyone from company gate man to top politicians is cutting corners, cheating, stealing, killing, just to be regarded by society.
We feed the monsters that consume us. Everything is connected to everything.