If there's one thing living in the eastern part of Nigeria for the past six years has taught me, it is that aside from the huge cultural differences from that of the west where I and my family have lived in for almost all our lives, there is also a huge gap between how someone who's been in the West thinks, compared to someone who has spent their entire life in the East...and I don't exactly say that in a good way for people who live here.
You see, as someone who grew up in certain ghetto areas in the west, there are certain things you pick up and learn as you grow up, certain characters and behaviours you should and should not do, you see things an adult should do and shouldn't do. Well it's not exactly the same thing here.
Sometimes, I just can't help but feel like the brain of most people here doesn't start developing until they get to a certain older age, compared to those in the West who learn to do things at a far younger age.. I mean, that is the only excuse I can think of because of how backwards some of these people's mindset can be, and it hurts saying it because these are my people, I'm a guy from the east who had the opportunity to live majority of my life in the West.
Anyways, having experienced all of this, I find it hard sometimes to be in a gathering where it's just these set of people around me, because each time I try, I find my head hurting due to how poorly this guys think, and what's worse is that each time someone tries to correct them or maybe tell them what is right, they turn the whole thing into a mockery, calling you all of sorts of names while saying that you're trying to prove to them that you know it all.
Mind you, I feel like I have to say that this doesn't apply to everyone who lives in the East (I've actually met smart people here), just the few guys at my hostel. And it became really evident today when we all had gathered together to celebrate the birthday of a friend of ours, who also happens to be a tenant at the hostel.
I tried sitting with them to have a good time but thirty minutes with them felt like two hours, and it got to a point where I couldn't stay there any longer so I got up to leave, only to go upstairs and realise that most of the guys there too had left the celebration because they too felt the same way I felt about those people and their mentality.
The truth is, I want to mingle with these guys, because the last thing I want is to be tagged as the guy who believes he's better than everyone. I'm not that guy, I just don't know how to remain in a place where I'm not comfortable at.
Comments (1)
Upbringing affects us in a very long term. The environment, type of parenting, culture, and many other factors we had can manifest in our future life. It is up to us if we cut the generational behaviour. If we want to learn and change unlike the others who stayed with their upbringing.
Sometimes, I feel that the reason most people doesn't change is because they feel that there's nothing to change to, that they're currently exhibiting the best behaviours and whatnot.. And you can't really blame them because the only they can realise that something is indeed wrong with the way they think, is by getting the opportunity to visit other places and experience things themselves.
Sometimes people just want to be them. To experience themselves.