By Prof. Nathan Protus Uzorma
The human mind is a centre that coordinates both objective and subjective activities of a normal human being. The mind becomes the centre of attraction to the extent that he who controls the mind, controls the man. Psychologist tells us that ten thousand ideas flow into the mind of every average human being daily, among these ideas majority are negative. The proper management of the negative thought form determines whether the individual is qualified to be addressed as a normal human being or not, which however qualifies the person to be a leader or a good follower. It is obvious that every manifested action is but a product of thought. Man essentially is a thinking being and by virtue of the function of his subconscious mind which responds to the mental picture or thought changes can be made.
Today, the psychological law of belief is the secret operating principle in all the religions of the world. It is the hidden reason for religious psychological truth. The Buddhist, the Christian, the Muslim and the Jew may all get the answers to their prayers, in spite of the enormous differences among their stated beliefs. How can this be? It is not because of the particular creed, religion, affiliation, ritual, ceremony, formula, liturgy, incantation, sacrifices, or offerings, but solely because of belief or mental acceptance and receptivity about that for which they pray.
The law of life is the law of belief. Belief can be summed up briefly as a thought in your mind. As a person thinks feels and believes, so is the condition of his (life) mind, body, and circumstances. A technique or methodology based on an understanding of what a person is doing and why he does it will help to bring about a subconscious embodiment of all the good things of life.
It was in connection to the above that made William James to conclude thus, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind”. Yes, we all desire happiness, security, peace of mind and good health. How many of us achieve all these? It was this situation that made Professor James M. Christian to say, “I know that if I change my mental pattern and redirect my emotional life, my heart condition will improve. The problem is that I don’t have the technique, process or modus-operandi. My mind wanders back and forth on my many problems, and I feel frustrated, unhappy and defeated”.
I make bold to say that Professor James is not alone in this deep confusion and frustration many “great men” have found themselves in the same predicament and because they do not know the way out, they end up antagonizing and humiliating others. If by any mistake such men find themselves in any higher leadership position, they end up leading with a frustrated, defeated and demented mentality; this where some of our leaders find themselves and end up performing below average.
Like Sam Ewing would say, “Nothing is so embarrassing as watching someone do something that you said couldn’t be done”. This is our present situation!
Opposition however is the true beauty of democracy. We need a governor that will not rule Imo in a hurry like the previous administration and with bitterness and conceit. One that will not be on a mission for vengeance and revenge; Imo needs a leader with love and passion to reconstruct the dilapidated and decrepitude infrastructures.
Truth is very conspicuous. Like Anthony de Mello would say, “A lost gold coin is found by means of a penny candle, the deepest truth is found by means of a simple story.” Does anger and pride attract respect for any Governor? Does it make him a good patriot? Professor Chinua Achebe says, “Who is a patriot? He is a person who loves his country. He is not a person who says he loves his country. He is not even a person who shouts or swears or recites or sings his love of his country. He is one who cares deeply about the happiness and well-being of his country and its entire people.” In addition to the above, a good leader must be a good patriot and must not function as a mediocre that makes noise about nothing.
George Jean says, “No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched”. My friend was unable to hide his worries behind an air of insouciance thus he decided to take a long walk as Jacqueline Schiff would say; “The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk”. Anger is very destructive and it however devastates a person. This informs why Socrates concludes, “virtue is equated with knowledge and vice with ignorance”.
This negative emotional expression called anger can degenerate a person. Psychologists believe that emotional state is determined by the quality and intensity of the individual’s actual need and by his assessment of the possibility of its satisfaction. This view of the nature and origin of emotions came to be known as the information theory of emotions. Whether an individual is aware of it or not, he compares the information about what is required to satisfy his need with what is available to him at the moment the need arises. If the subjective possibility of the satisfaction of the need is high, the individual experiences positive feelings. Negative emotions result from the subject’s more or less clear awareness of the impossibility (real or imaginary) to satisfy his need or of a decrease of his chances to satisfy it as compared with his earlier expectations.
Emotion signals a favourable or unfavourable turn of events, the degree of determinacy of the subject’s position in the system of his object-oriented and interpersonal relations, thereby providing guidelines for his behaviors in the conditions of communication and activity. Feelings according to psychologist represent one of the specific forms of the reflection of reality. In contrast with cognitive processes which reflect objects and phenomena of reality, feelings reflect the relations between the subject with his specific needs and the objectives or phenomena of reality which he cognizes or changes.
Specific feelings arising from man’s ability or inability to satisfy his needs take different forms: emotions, affects, moods, stress states and feelings proper. The terms “emotion” and “feeling” are often used as synonyms. In a more narrow sense, emotion may be defined as a direct time-related experience of some more permanent feelings in the forms of emotions, affects, moods and stresses is generally accompanied by more or less overt signs. These include facial expressive movements (mimicry) gestures, postures, intonation, dilation or contraction of pupils. At this point however we may distinguish the following basic emotional states, each having its own gamut of psychological characteristics and external manifestations. They are interest, Joy, Surprise, rage, fear, aversion, suffering, contempt, and shame to mention a few.
Among the following aversion is one of the negative emotional state evoked by objects, people, circumstances, etc, the contact with which (physical interaction, communication, etc) runs counter to the object’s ideological, ethical and aesthetic principles and steps. In interpersonal relations aversion combined with anger may motivate aggressive behavior, in which aggression is stimulated by anger and aversion by the wish to “get rid of somebody or something”.
Is a leader not entitled to getting angry when provoked? Is he not a normal natural human being who is entitled to getting angry? Of course he is. Does becoming a Governor stops one from getting angry? The answer is no. Is a leader supposed to exhibit the propensity of a wild animal to the people he is leading? The answer to these questions depends on ones level of maturity informed by his management of anger. The late Pope John Paul II attempted an answer to the above question when he said, “Our political productivity has always been epileptic, most probably because our administrative machinery had been exceedingly faulty”.
It is obvious today that anger has caused humanity a lot of things; it was this that made Plutarch to conclude thus, “He can never speak well, who knows not how to hold his peace” yes, any leader who strikes anyhow can even strike his wife with a flower. Any leader whose conscience is sealed with hot iron who also exhibit anger on his subjects is not qualified to be called a leader. Albert Einstein states, “Real human progress depends upon a good conscience” while Mahatma Gandhi is of the view that, “in matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place”. The Reformer infers “a brave man risk his life, but not his conscience”.
It is very hazardous and dishonourable for a leader to act contrary to the dictates of conscience. Shakespeare concludes, “What is a stronger breastplate than a heart unstained”. I am however propelled to join the Greek elder states man Socrates to pray thus, “I pray thee o God that I may be beautiful within.”