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Lean on me, ubuntu and the entitlement mentality
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‘Lean on Me’: Ubuntu and the entitlement mentality.

When the three-time Grammy Award winner, Bill Withers, wrote the song ‘lean on me’, it was flesh and blood that revealed the message to him. Although he withdrew from making music in the 1980s and died in April 2020 from heart complications, that song would become the inspiration of so many masses and stakeholders during the coronavirus pandemic. But in a world where economic melt-down and individualism keeps rising, why should we be leaned on?

Being leaned on can be extremely difficult. Many Africans in diaspora cut ties with their family back home who would always call for one favour or another. Hell, some would demand it. Some would rain curses for negative replies. The truth is – everyone is struggling. All over, the black-African or black-American et al, community have been criticized for having a sense of entitlement. An altitude, militating against self-development.

Yet, Ubuntu tells the story of the African children who were to contest for a basket of sweets, the winner would be whoever gets to it first. The children held each other and ran together so that all of them came first and shared the basket of sweets amongst themselves. When the Anthropologist asked them why they did that? They replied ‘Ubuntu – I am because we are. How can one be happy when the others are sad?’

If we follow the success stories of many businesses and entrepreneurs, as I have done for the past 15years, we would find these recurring factors – a seed, a help, a loan, a contact, a car, a temporal place, etc. Business administrators and sociologists agree on this – no business or human ever progressed alone without a shoulder to lean on. Today, the coronavirus has taught the world that only by Ubuntu will it survive again.

The needy must understand the complexities of life, do away with the black entitlement mentality, and make sure not to waste the shoulder he/she leans on, on frivolities. And the needed should think twice before judging or dismissing requests because after all said and done, ‘we all need somebody to lean on’.

Emmanuel Okonkwo (emmanuel.okonkwo@decritic.com) is an expert copywriter and writes for brands and lifestyles for De Critic an award-winning top 10 copywriting/PR agency in Nigeria and Critics over brands, lifestyles, movies and music. contact@decritic.com

12 Responses

  1. Hmmm, nice one
    I love this part “ I am because we are. How can one be happy when the others are sad?”… we should always learn to carry others along in things we do.

  2. This is indeed a very balanced opinion. Africans, no, the world should read this. nice one Emmanuel.

  3. This is great. There has been a lot of talks and expectations on youths to stand and do something for themselves, etc… but no one is actually saying the truth that people need people to strive. We all at a time or the other have to lean on another to stand. While we should not be nuisance or feel entitled, a simple innocent cry for help or assistance should not be blackmailed with the sense of entitlement argument.

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Emmanuel Okonkwo
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Emmanuel Okonkwo is a professional content/creative/copywriter; and a critic. He is a published writer internationally and locally; the founder and editor of DeCritic. He holds a bachelor degree in Philosophy & Communications; a diploma degree in Copywriting & Marketing; and others. Crazy right? He has worked for and written for some of the world best marketing agencies, influencers, blogs and magazines. He is unique, rational, fun, radical and balanced.

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