Reflections: Is Courtesy and Respect Two Sides of a Coin? – Bolutife Oluwadele
We tend to use the words “courtesy” and “respect” as if they’re one and the same. We assume a courteous person is also respectful. We expect the two to go together. They are in fact very different. Courtesy is essentially a…
When Facts Challenge Our Beliefs ( Reflections by Bolutife Oluwadele )
More than four decades ago, in a college history class, I was given an essay assignment based on the statement, “Facts are facts, and facts speak for themselves.” I read the statement several times. I suspected that many of my classmates…
KÒFOWÓRỌLÁ by Bolutife Oluwadele
Nearly a decade ago, I wrote about the gradual drift from Ọmọlúwàbí to Owónikókó. I warned my Yoruba compatriots that the foundational ethos of good character must not be sacrificed in the pursuit of wealth. I did not mean that money is evil. I meant…
Licensed to Lie: A Satirical Meditation on the Confidence Trick We Call Public Life – Bolutife Oluwadele
There was a time when a lie was a shameful thing – something said behind a hand, denied in daylight, confessed under pressure. Now it is a credential. The modern liar does not hide the lie; he brandishes it. He does not whisper; he broadcasts. And…
Was The Cake Half-Eaten? – Bolutife Oluwadare
The popular saying goes, “You cannot have your cake and eat it too.” In other words, you cannot consume something and still expect to retain it. Some choices come with consequences that cannot conveniently be reversed. Culture, however, is…
Reflections: Water in The Wine – Bolutife Oluwadele
A little water in the wine may change everything. Please come with me. Something happened when I was twelve years old. One fateful day, I returned home to find no one there. That was not unusual at the time; the house would remain empty until everyone…
REFLECTIONS: Beyond the Logic-Emotion Divide – By Bolutife Oluwadele
Beyond the Logic-Emotion Divide In recent times, I have become more deliberate about avoiding extremes and resisting the seductive pull of absolutism. I have come to see how easily we can become trapped by rigid categories, especially when they claim to…
Reflections: Should Writers Mind Their Business? – Bolutife Oluwadele
The choice to become a writer is not always a deliberate one. Yes, there are those who, through inspiration from other writers, choose to enter the ring and experience what it means to put words together. Others are pushed into it by an obsession with…
Immunity of Spokespersons: Ọba Kìí Pa Onílù – Bolutife Oluwadele
Ọba kìí pa onílù, the king does not behead the drummer. In 2019, I wrote an article titled “In ‘Defence’ of Praise Singing,” where I reflected on a related saying: Ọba kìí pa olórin, the king does not behead the singer. In that…
REFLECTIONS By Bolutife Oluwadele
A sha Ruwa Kadankada Reflections on a Philosophy of Moderation A sha ruwa kadankada 🎼🎼🎷🎹 A sha ruwa small small 🎼🎼🎷🎹 A sha ruwa Kadankada 🎼🎼🎷🎹 A sha ruwa…