Free slaves

Apartheid and the era of slavery came and is now gone but are black people really free? What has accomplishing freedom done for our mentality? Are black people still suffering from inferior complex? We need to realise that servitude is not just about being in chains and calling the white man “baas” while being treated less than his dogs. True servitude is in the mind, the way you think, the way you view yourself and those who were your former oppressor.

Freedom has seen many black people thrive in this country. Multi-racial schools are a norm in society and we have come to co-exist with each other peacefully. This is nice and all but are black people really free mentally. This question I pose after observing how many black people still believe the DA could bring back apartheid if they came in power. People strongly believe the past can come back to haunt us if power is given back to the white man. We rather endure the constant abuse from the ruling party than to imagine a white man take over the hot seat. We’re trapped! We have moved to dodging rubber bullets and tear gas physically to doing it mentality.

We suffer from inferior complex even in the work place. A black person is more comfortable with a white manager than a black one, they assume the white man knows best. With all races, size and form attending various universities across the country, it’s only a trapped mind that makes us assume the white man knows better. This behaviour can be observed amongst teens as well where when a black teen associates himself with a white teen and forgets his roots and starts speaking in a pretentious nasal accent which is interpreted  to make you seem smarter than the normal speaking black man. A black teen would rather redesign his culture, religion and behaviour to mimic that of a white teen than to expect the white teen to do the same. This kind of mentality is the reason why I believe white people found it so easy to land on our continent and do as they please to the locals.

Many black people live to please the white man at his black brothers expense. It’s a mental  warfare and we seem to be lacking adequate ammunition to do proper combat. We don’t like reading, we don’t follow too much of the news, we hardly get out of our comfort zones and we downright ignorant. For the black man to transcend mentally in order to stop being modern day slaves, it will require great effort. We are at a very exciting time for our race and continent but to really grab the opportunities infront of us we need to awaken from our slumber and realise though we are not in chains we’re still slaves to our minds.

Short-termism

The black mentality is a very complex theory yet relatively easy to fathom. There are many components to the black mentality but today I divulge the short-termism that we suffer from. What is short-termism?  This is the type of thinking or planning that concentrates on achieving results in the near future rather than on long-term objectives. The average black man lives for today and at most tomorrow, any further than that is simply pushing it. This mentality is adopted to dealing with money, relationships and general living.

When you talk about investments you tickle the black mind and the sensation spreads through-out his body as this word is associated with getting rich. Why is it then that only white folk keep to be getting this investment thing right? Black men think they deserve immediate compensation if they are willing to put away their hard earned money. Very few black people are willing to stay in an investment that will mature in 15 years time. Is it because the concept of investment wasn’t properly explained so that the black mind can grasp it. We survive on our salaries and our loan re-payments exceed our savings. Maybe we hope not to live long and that someone can bear the grudge of repaying the debts that we are forever accumulating.  Wealth will never be achieved under this mentality.

Ask a black man where he sees himself in 10 years time and it feels as if you asked him to write you a 10 page essay explaining quantum theory. This has sadly become part of our culture, to think for now without ever considering consequences of the future...YOLO! The decisions being made by today’s youth would suggest that most of them have no ambitions of making a family or being parents that will lead by example. They live a reckless life for the thrill of the moment.

People get into relationships with someone for all the wrong reasons because we suffer from this mentality. Girls chasing guys with money because they want to be spoiled NOW! “Why wait for tomorrow, who promised us tomorrow?” Some of the things girls who chase sugar-daddies love to quote. Many black girls are not looking for a husband, they want a sponsor. They want someone who will provide a means for them to continue living this reckless life they have grown accustomed to. They’re too quick to give up on education because they haven’t thought to how far it can get them, they are unable to think that far. Guys are forever chasing pipe dreams because they trying to get rich quick and live the lives they see on MTV which they fantasize about.

This short-termism is a sad way to look at life. I have no immediate remedy for it but I will bring it to your attention so you can start looking at life from a new angle for a change.