Lubwama Absolom
Everybody has a weakness, whether it be mental or physical. These shortcomings could become what behavior psychologists call an inferiority complex if they are not addressed.
As the saying goes, “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” so mindset is the first step. The social structure that has set standards that those who have not met are viewed as lowly; the cultural context that has made women seem inferior to men; the religious system that has reduced some ethnic groups to servanthood while others are regarded as “the chosen of God”; and the academic abilities system that has labeled those who fall short as “academic failures.” A certain ideal of beauty and success has been forced upon us by businesses and the media, making us feel inadequate and inferior to others.
Our ancestors’ adoption of their names, language, religion, and cultural elements condemned our African culture to the “abominable evil past.” We were born inferior to our former colonial overlords, and if you tried to learn more about your ancestry, your own family would accuse you of summoning the evil spirits of the “long dead.”
Cultural Shame and Identity Loss in Regards to Inferiority complex
Many women feel insulted when they are called by their surnames, which our colonizers obviously reduced to “second name position.” We have since abandoned the use of our mother tongues in the home, arguing that they have less economic value, and have only adopted the western world languages (I am not against the use of English). The ability to speak one’s mother tongue is a sign of one’s historical and cultural awareness. Individuals who are unaware of their origins struggle to reach their true potential.
Our preference is for our children to attend international schools and embrace a Western way of life. In a nutshell, we do not take pride in our culture. Unfortunately, if we fail to teach our children about our culture, they become socially misplaced and ultimately wasted and unaccountable.
Children who are born with learning disabilities are kept apart, and some are not allowed to socialize with others, even though they will eventually have to cross paths in the real world. The popularity of Caucasian women’s hairstyles, skin-whitening products, and synthetic hair in Africa can be attributed to the belief that having lighter skin is a necessary condition for beauty.
Strength Through Self-Awareness
Some fortunate people throughout history have chosen to ignore the social context and concentrate on their strengths, which has prevented them from ever feeling or looking inferior.
Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Benjamin Franklin are examples of innovators who overcame obstacles and weaknesses to have a positive impact on the world.
While Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, and Benito Mussolini used their inferiority to gain power, they created anarchy to hide their weakness.
Covering Up Rather Than Facing Reality
Many people in our African society follow the latter group’s example. Instead of recognizing our flaws and then prioritizing our strengths, we work so hard to cover them up that we do not even take the time to appreciate what we have in front of us, instead attempting to accumulate so much that we cannot afford in order to hide our shortcomings.
In the past, Africa had leaders from “humble backgrounds” who later became dictators and stole from their countries, acting worse than the leaders they deposed. They persecuted those they felt threatened their ability to remain in power, just as Pol Pot, the president of Cambodia from 1976 to 1979, grew up in a peasant family and became a president who despised the elite in his government to the point of persecuting people who wore spectacles.
Many men who marry wealthy or socially elite women end up acting strangely because they feel unworthy. A less educated person chooses to fight the subordinate with more paper rather than learn from them because they feel threatened by them. A pastor who lacks theological training conceals his or her semi-irritability by preaching against the importance of education and the applicability of medicine, selling fake miracles, and boasting about his or her travels, large church, and congregation.
Status and Illusion
Instead of looking for ways to improve his job, a bodaboda rider would rather introduce himself as a property dealer than admit to being involved in a hustle that provides for him.
While Japanese building cleaners proudly call themselves janitors, Ugandans who perform jobs they consider lowly will instead identify themselves as a special hire driver as a tour and travel operator, or a security guard as a soldier. A local herbalist takes the title of Doctor. Street Pentecostal preachers will present themselves as pastors, and Masons with only a few days of experience as casual laborers are proud to call themselves engineers.
Even when we become wealthy, we still carry the stench of inferiority with us.
Vanity and the Quest for Validation
We construct big houses as status symbols with many unoccupied rooms, we purchase the newest high-tech devices that we cannot use to mimic the West, we drive around in convoys to demonstrate our power, we purchase large fuel-guzzlers that we do not need, and we dress in trendy but useless clothing. And if we cannot afford it, we “fake it” to let our imagined or actual detractors know we have succeeded.
Having a large number of social media followers makes us feel proud, even if we cannot use that following to help us gain social capital. If all else fails, we will fight tooth and nail to travel to Western countries where we are despised, hoping that their wealth and class will rub off on us and cause us to become like them.
The Western world has little to learn from us, and they despise us because it is technically impossible to hate someone who is attempting to imitate you; rather, you despise them.
The Way Forward
It is only when we are older that we realize it was all vanity. If we were more aware of our options, we would be thankful for what we have, choose what we need over what we want, and lead a simple life by recognizing and enhancing our strengths.
