4. THE LEGEND OF THE SMART AND CLEVER
They know who you are, what you are and how to destroy you. Even the untouchables fear them.
They are antisocial, and they are not. They are the smart and the clever.
I am smart and I was told that as a kid, I was also clever. But as I grew older I lost my cleverness. I'll explain why.
Cleverness in Italian is "furbizia", which also means sly or wily; a not so flattering adjective. When an Italian person calls another person "furbo or furba", he or she means that the person is a monumental piece of shit who is always trying to con people. This term is often used to describe politicians like Berlusconi, a man who is said to have ties with the mafia. The Italians certainly do not like it when people try to act clever with them (Non fare il furbo con me).
They don't like it and they do not encourage their kids to be so.
When I was in Nigeria, I was clever and that was because I lived in a country that did not encourage straightforwardness; instead it encouraged cunningness, or what Nigerians call wisdom or street smart.
In that country you do not get things done by asking nicely or even working for them. It's either you have to go through a backdoor or you get someone to go through for you. There is always a game you have to play for things to go your way.
I wish I could say that this was prevalent only among a particular class and social layer. Unfortunately it is everywhere. Even the ones who rule us are "furbi". Perhaps they are the original class of furbi.
Then I arrived in Italy and I ditched it. I ditched my cleverness and embraced kamikaze instead.
Even with the shit my mother was putting me through, I never felt the need to lie, to be cunning or to sneak around. I used to give it to her frontally.
And that was my mistake.
My mother is a narcissist and narcissists are clever. They are not always the smartest kids in the block, but those people are master manipulators. Not that it is hard to become one among Nigerians.
The average Nigerian is intellectually lazy, and walks about with this sense of hopelessness. You don't have to do much to get them to hate someone, especially one that is not hopeless like them.
Think of the recent saga between Gbenro and Osas. Remember how easily he convinced Nigerians to side with him and castigate his wife? It's that easy.
That mistake I made made me realise one cardinal rule: don't ever attack a clever a person directly. When you attack a clever person full frontal, even though you are doing so in self defence, you automatically become the offender.
That's how my mother and that girl got me. I was not clever. They were. I was smarter than them, but they still managed to make me look like the villain whereas they were the villains.
Notwithstanding, I learnt my lesson (not the lessons they both wanted me to learn of course).
There is a substantial difference between a smart person and a clever person. A smart person knows the meaning of words, a clever person knows how to mess around with words.
However clever people who are not particularly smart will target less intelligent people, or people who are in vulnerable positions. What they need is for you to trust them and believe them based on what they tell you. They won't mess around with people who like to learn things on their own as those ones can easily call out their bullshit.
Ask yourself: why do many governments work so hard to keep the population ignorant? They do so because they know the power of knowledge and information.
There is nothing more powerful than knowing the meaning of words. When you know words, you can mess around with them effectively.
Once you gain an understanding of the socio-political and economical dynamics of the world, you can play with it anyhow you please. Clever people do not really understand the world. They know the rules, but they do not know why those rules exist and how they came about.
Smart people know the rules, and they also know their origins: they can efficiently and effectively manipulate history to change them. That is why they are so dangerous. They can turn the whole fucking game around by using the same method that was used in setting it up in the first place.
They are legends and because they are legends, they are high in demand. They are the ones that plan and execute your disappearance for the untouchables.
Behind every powerful person in the world, there is someone that lurks in their shadow and dictates their moves. These men and women are the rich and powerful game leaders you don't even know exist.
They are the spies, the CIA, the intelligentsia, the hit men, the James Bond of the world. They are the confidants, advisors and assistants.
Everybody hates them. Everybody wants them dead, but they are so valuable that you have no choice but to keep them around.
The ones who are not psychopaths or sociopaths can act like one because they know what a fucking sociopath or psychopath is. Their level of self awareness and control is outstanding. They can avoid telling the truth without lying. For all these reasons, they end up being more dangerous than their antisocial mates.
Do not mess with people in this category. If you mess with them, own it up. They are usually reasonable people. They are intelligent. They will see reasons with you. Just avoid "di fare il furbo". Even though they are clever, they hate it when people try and act clever with them.
These motherfuckers did not come to play, my people. And I sincerely hope I never make enemy with one.
They know who you are, what you are and how to destroy you. Even the untouchables fear them.
They are antisocial, and they are not. They are the smart and the clever.
I am smart and I was told that as a kid, I was also clever. But as I grew older I lost my cleverness. I'll explain why.
Cleverness in Italian is "furbizia", which also means sly or wily; a not so flattering adjective. When an Italian person calls another person "furbo or furba", he or she means that the person is a monumental piece of shit who is always trying to con people. This term is often used to describe politicians like Berlusconi, a man who is said to have ties with the mafia. The Italians certainly do not like it when people try to act clever with them (Non fare il furbo con me).
They don't like it and they do not encourage their kids to be so.
When I was in Nigeria, I was clever and that was because I lived in a country that did not encourage straightforwardness; instead it encouraged cunningness, or what Nigerians call wisdom or street smart.
In that country you do not get things done by asking nicely or even working for them. It's either you have to go through a backdoor or you get someone to go through for you. There is always a game you have to play for things to go your way.
I wish I could say that this was prevalent only among a particular class and social layer. Unfortunately it is everywhere. Even the ones who rule us are "furbi". Perhaps they are the original class of furbi.
Then I arrived in Italy and I ditched it. I ditched my cleverness and embraced kamikaze instead.
Even with the shit my mother was putting me through, I never felt the need to lie, to be cunning or to sneak around. I used to give it to her frontally.
And that was my mistake.
My mother is a narcissist and narcissists are clever. They are not always the smartest kids in the block, but those people are master manipulators. Not that it is hard to become one among Nigerians.
The average Nigerian is intellectually lazy, and walks about with this sense of hopelessness. You don't have to do much to get them to hate someone, especially one that is not hopeless like them.
Think of the recent saga between Gbenro and Osas. Remember how easily he convinced Nigerians to side with him and castigate his wife? It's that easy.
That mistake I made made me realise one cardinal rule: don't ever attack a clever a person directly. When you attack a clever person full frontal, even though you are doing so in self defence, you automatically become the offender.
That's how my mother and that girl got me. I was not clever. They were. I was smarter than them, but they still managed to make me look like the villain whereas they were the villains.
Notwithstanding, I learnt my lesson (not the lessons they both wanted me to learn of course).
There is a substantial difference between a smart person and a clever person. A smart person knows the meaning of words, a clever person knows how to mess around with words.
However clever people who are not particularly smart will target less intelligent people, or people who are in vulnerable positions. What they need is for you to trust them and believe them based on what they tell you. They won't mess around with people who like to learn things on their own as those ones can easily call out their bullshit.
Ask yourself: why do many governments work so hard to keep the population ignorant? They do so because they know the power of knowledge and information.
There is nothing more powerful than knowing the meaning of words. When you know words, you can mess around with them effectively.
Once you gain an understanding of the socio-political and economical dynamics of the world, you can play with it anyhow you please. Clever people do not really understand the world. They know the rules, but they do not know why those rules exist and how they came about.
Smart people know the rules, and they also know their origins: they can efficiently and effectively manipulate history to change them. That is why they are so dangerous. They can turn the whole fucking game around by using the same method that was used in setting it up in the first place.
They are legends and because they are legends, they are high in demand. They are the ones that plan and execute your disappearance for the untouchables.
Behind every powerful person in the world, there is someone that lurks in their shadow and dictates their moves. These men and women are the rich and powerful game leaders you don't even know exist.
They are the spies, the CIA, the intelligentsia, the hit men, the James Bond of the world. They are the confidants, advisors and assistants.
Everybody hates them. Everybody wants them dead, but they are so valuable that you have no choice but to keep them around.
The ones who are not psychopaths or sociopaths can act like one because they know what a fucking sociopath or psychopath is. Their level of self awareness and control is outstanding. They can avoid telling the truth without lying. For all these reasons, they end up being more dangerous than their antisocial mates.
Do not mess with people in this category. If you mess with them, own it up. They are usually reasonable people. They are intelligent. They will see reasons with you. Just avoid "di fare il furbo". Even though they are clever, they hate it when people try and act clever with them.
These motherfuckers did not come to play, my people. And I sincerely hope I never make enemy with one.
No comments:
Post a Comment