Inordinate Ambitions and Human Predicaments Decrees and laws were made to contain human ambitions but are with loopholes that allow the same ambitions to thrive and dislocate historical ties and democratic and social values, throwing the world into crises, mankind into delirium tremens, making life a beleaguered norm. Humanity as a whole and across the circumference of the earth suffers the same fate emanating from inordinate ambitions of the few. Divine and human laws abound, which essence remains to regulate human desires and actions for the peace and unity of the human race, yet the same laws create loopholes that allow some individuals leverage and therefore post threats to the peace and unity of human communities and affront to human relationships. On this, three men had made outstanding remarks that touch the heart of the matter. First, Aristotle in his work titled “Politics” noted that, law is a pledge that citizens of a state will do justice to one another. Second, Ovid in his work titled “Fasti” said, the purpose of law is to prevent the strong from always having their ways. Then, Cicero in his work titled “De Finibus” puts it that, the laws place the safety of all before the safety of individuals. If, therefore, the few individuals whom fickle fortune has elevated above the ordinary rungs of life were to be guided by laws and ruled by decorum, etiquettes and values to which they are natives, most of the predicaments that have befallen humanity in different geographical locations across the world would have been completely abated. Point to me where in the world there is war or economic and political instability, then look out and see one, two or few individuals whose desires and actions set the tones for the crises that have reduced life to a beleaguered norm and a mournful experience within their states or communities. However, fortune, as noted by Emperor Charles V, hath the nature of a woman: if she be too much wooed, she is the farther off. That, indeed, has always been the story of men burnt with inordinate ambition. Indeed, few individuals in our respective states and communities have been troubled by ego to see ethics and laws as ordinary rules that must bend for their ambitions. Such ambitions are therefore called inordinate ambitions; and, two things boost egos that fuel such ambitions: money and or power. With money, some individuals see things differently and human life as aberration. The intimidating influence of money makes them feel the enduring courage common among immortals, and therefore frown at and rebuff the laws, decorum, etiquettes and values that were meant to also protect them from others much more rich and strong. Because they have used the little money and power they secure for themselves to mock the rest of humanity, their fates hang on the balance only the gods who are richer and powerful can manipulate, so that before the gods, they look more like twerps than men of substance. With power or mere association with individuals within the corridors of power, some men see the world in its perfect beauty, not minding the slippery nature of the same power. With power they command money and it obeys with little or no circumlocution. With power they face neither roadblock nor harassment by the security agents. The big and the mighty men in uniforms, the angels on guard, are at hand to carry out every bit of their instructions. Their desires and actions, as propelled by their ambitions, have easy ride with the angels on guard. Laws therefore count too little with the power and money they command, following their romance with fortune. Nothing matters but power and money. Life means nothing without power. Every other man and woman is but sampling specie for the power-men who see themselves like colossuses within the little corner of the earth called state or community. The problem started with Jacob, the son of Isaac. The world was one until Isaac and Rebecca’s son, Jacob, was born. There was no white, no black, no red races. There was no Jew, no gentile; no Europe, no Arab and no Negro. Jacob’s inordinate ambition tore the world apart up till today. The story of Esau often attracts condemnation from every man and woman all across the world, that he sold his birthright to Jacob, his younger brother, for a plate of food. But it would be very astonishing for everyone to discover the Esau in him or her when confronted with similar circumstance; or rather, we all play Esau, knowingly or unknowingly, even at most instances we find ourselves. Come to think of it. Do you know that we all sell out our rights or birthrights to our younger ones on a mere token of peanuts? Think. Think. Think. Man, think! When we collect anything from anybody aspiring to be in government so as to give him our mandates, in spite of our knowledge of his deficiencies, ineptitude and corrupt tendencies, but look the other way or fight to kill one another to have a wrong person imposed on us, do you know you are playing Esau? Our entire destinies and that of our children and perhaps children’s children are affected in every Esau we play in the name of democracy, to assuage our hunger. For a time, time and time, we go on in a vicious circle of economic doom just because of the games we play, perhaps for fond. Who has ever succeeded in fooling us to have our mandates in whatever capacity without bitter complaints trailing his administration or tenure? That was how Esau complaint after selling out his birthright. Jacob, in all sense of the words, was burnt with the fire of ambition, and the unsuspecting Esau, like us, thought he was playing with a true brother. The aftermath of the “private coup” was the division of Isaac’s family into the Jews, Jacob’s race, and the gentiles, Esau’s descendants; with unending debacles confronting the entire human race: between the spiritual Jews and the spiritual gentiles across the world. Esau’s hunger and humble request to his ambitious brother, Jacob, has brought about a conflagration that has engulfed the entire humanity, yet scholars and esteemed nobles and princes learn nothing about inordinate ambitions as factors that broaden human predicaments. Only one thing would have saved Esau from being shortchanged by his ambitious brother, and perhaps had the human race as one indivisible community. We must teach ourselves and learn to face hunger with dignity: to overcome the impending doom, when inordinate ambitions of some of our brothers will work to distance us from one another than we ever been
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:59:29 +0000
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