Many Dimensions of Wisdom
Quite a minute here!
I again stumbled on the Yoruba adage “Bọ́mọdé bá ṣubú á wò iwájú, tí ẹ̀gbọ̀n bá ṣubú á wò ẹ̀hìn á wó ibí tí ó ti fẹ̀ sí kọ” (When a child falls, he rises and moves forward; when an elder falls, he rises and looks at what made him fall).
The simple lesson from the proverb is that when you don’t look behind to see what made you fall, you may inadvertently make the same mistake over and over. In real life, examples abound that support this thought. So, we cannot dismiss it as a misplaced proverb.
A few days ago, I had a conversation with my mentor.
Towards the end of our conversation, I asked my usual questions. He gave me his sincere answers. Then I reminded him that he said the same thing the previous two years. He laughed and told me to stop looking backward. I confirmed to him that I should have faith and dwell less in the past. He concurred. He added that just because something did not happen in the past does not mean that it cannot occur in the near future.
I agree with him.
As we rounded up our conversation, he made another futuristic statement. I wanted to remind him that he had said something like that before. I cautioned myself and instead said, “We are now having a futuristic outlook. Again, laughing louder now, agreed that I am getting the new drift. For me, nowhere to hide from him, at least not after more than 42 years of doing this together.
The conversation was both inspiring and confusing.
Come with me, please!.
Why was it inspiring?
It was inspiring, especially the emphasis on what did not work in the past that may now work in the future. It strengthens hope. We all know that when hope is gone, almost everything will fall like a pack of cards. Yes, it is also true that what did not work in the past may require probing into the reason(s) where it did not work and dealing with whatever constituted the clogs in the past.
Why was it confusing?
The proverb ‘encouraged’ us to always look back on what may have fallen so as not to repeat the fall. If we focus solely on being futuristic, are we not behaving like the child who cares less about what made him fall and moves on with life at every turn and bend?
This is why understanding and interpretation matter a lot.
Let us try to unpack the proverb and attempt to reconcile it with the conversation.
The proverb did not ask the elders, as it were, to dwell in the past. Right? Yes, right. What it advocated as a sign of maturity is that whenever things don’t go our way, either some accident, some unexpected failures, we need to pause, look inward (backward) to figure out what was responsible for the negative outcome. The main reason for this is to avoid such things in the future.
We cannot do the same thing the same way and expect different outcomes.
Therefore, being futuristic is not a call to ignore the past or to assume that the errors noticed will not impact the future if not adequately addressed. It is against dwelling in the past more than necessary, so much so that we may become trapped in the past.
History not learned is often repeated.
My mentor’s advice was that we should not dwell on the past too much, so as not to forget the possibility of a better future, especially after drawing on lessons from past failures.
Experiences of failure are among the major tools that prepare us for future success.
Would this then mean that it is almost impossible to succeed without ‘tasting’ some failures?
I would have said absolutely impossible. However, one of the cardinal principles of TQM was getting it right the first time.
Then we know that it is not in all circumstances that TQM works in real life. So, failure teaches us how to do it better next time.
The proverb is valid when carefully analyzed and applied diligently. The advice to be futuristic does not take anything away from the proverb either. Looking backward in retrospect is not a counsel to dwell in the past. Learn from the past but avoid being stuck in it.
May the new year usher in the capability and the resolve not to repeat the mistakes of the past we have refused to learn from. Peep into the past with the mindset of extracting useful lessons and avoid building an abode there. The future offers new perspectives, new methods and better focus.
Wisdom is not linear but can be multidimensional.
This is to wish you a not-so-“detty” January, even if it seems longer than usual.
Your thoughts and views are welcome.
(The figure man who loves alphabets)
