By Nathan Kiwere
The statement by Arthur Schopenhauer that “no man can see over his own height” speaks to the limitations in human perception and understanding. What this statement means is that we are restricted by our own intellectual and emotional capacity, which inhibits our complete appreciation for qualities in others that we do not possess ourselves. Schopenhauer’s words challenge us to reflect on how much of reality we might be missing because of our own limitations. In the African context, the concept again is relevant, as centuries of historical injustices, economic challenges, and societal conditioning have sometimes contributed to the general sense of resignation; hence, the African, within such a framework, has to make personal efforts at raising awareness and personal growth in order to transcend the unpleasant realities many face.
What Schopenhauer is arguing here is that one can only perceive in others the qualities they have taken the trouble to develop within themselves. And if the “height” of one’s awareness is limited, so too is the possibility of grasping others or even recognizing possibilities for change. True as this may be in individual lives, it also pertains to communities, societies, and nations. Africa’s history of colonization, exploitation, and continued economic challenges into the present has kept many in a state of disempowerment. Inadequacy or complacency as a collective feeling would make the visualization of a better future difficult to imagine; and unless there is a conscious effort to raise the level of individual and collective awareness, Africa may be stuck with its limitations and inability to rise above its unpleasant reality.
Education: A Means to Raise Awareness
Education is the most important method by which people and societies can become more aware of and “see over their own height.” This has been evident in countries like Rwanda, whose nation was broken due to the genocide in 1994. However, under a nationally emphasized umbrella of education and reconciliation, the country has surprisingly grown economically and socially in recent decades. Under the guidance of President Paul Kagame, Rwanda embarked on establishing an economy that is knowledge-based, one that would empower Rwandans to rise beyond their historical trauma. That which Rwandan development showcases is how a nation could rise from humble backgrounds and limited ability through intellectual and emotional maturation to better perceive their place within the world.
Most recently, African countries such as Kenya and Ghana found the returns on education very rewarding, especially in field studies regarding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. With this kind of investment, individuals have been able to innovate, participate in global markets, and contribute towards national development. Through education, people learned how to understand opportunities beyond their surroundings and ideas that would have otherwise eluded them.
Economic Empowerment and Self-Perception
On the side of economic empowerment, it goes all the way to enable individuals to look beyond their confinements. Generally, poverty acts as a stumbling block towards high levels of consciousness among many Africans. The metaphorical “height” as postulated by Schopenhauer can thus be understood not just in terms of intellectual growth, but also in economic terms. People and communities, as they get poor, their circle of vision shrinks to cater for basic needs of survival that limit larger possibilities of appreciation for broader possibilities of growth and change.
The rise of mobile banking across Africa, and in particular systems such as M-Pesa in Kenya, has absolutely revolutionized how people interact with their economy. M-Pesa allows people to conduct financial transactions using their mobile phones, opening up financial services for the first time to people in rural and underserved areas. This impact has gone to the core of economic empowerment, enabling people to perceive more opportunities regarding entrepreneurship and growth, and to act on those perceptions. The M-Pesa model helps illustrate a way in which financial empowerment could relieve people from the constraints of poverty and allow them to “see” a future in which upward mobility is possible.
Breaking the Cycle of Mental Conditioning
Another important limitation to awareness is the cultural and historical conditionings. Colonialism and its aftermath created psychological scars on the African continent whereby many people grew up with feelings of inferiority relative to the West. This has often resulted in a reduced sense of agency-a perception of oneself being helpless in improving one’s circumstances. Africans must question such mental models and adopt a new mindset hinged on self-determination if they are to escape these self-fulfilling cycles.
Most of them have successfully inspired pride and a sense of determination in the country. For example, Botswana is one of those rare African countries to have transformed their natural resources, particularly diamonds, into a means of securing national development. As a result of good governance, Botswana has avoided what is known as the “resource curse” that has plagued most other resource-rich countries. This perhaps can be attributed to the collective consciousness of the people and national culture that are founded on principles of integrity, self-sufficiency, and long-term vision. The case of Botswana thus demonstrates that a transformation in the consciousness of a nation is possible and leads to gains in the actual quality of life for the citizens.
The Role of Leadership in Raising Collective Awareness
Leadership plays a crucial role in raising the consciousness of the people. The leadership of Nelson Mandela in South Africa gives a perfect example of how an increased sense of awareness of one man can be the upliftment of a whole nation. Through Mandela’s dream of a non-racial, democratic South Africa based on conciliation and not revenge, he helped his country around its transition from apartheid. This gift of his, looking beyond one’s pain into a long-term future for the country, let him lead South Africa toward healing and growth.
The life of Mandela makes it crystal clear that when leaders themselves know higher principles, such as justice, forgiveness, and unity, then such leaders elevate their people to the level of knowing those principles. On the other hand, leaders whose awareness is limited take societies in endless circles of poverty, corruption, and conflict. As a result, the future of Africa will depend not only on what happens in the personal growth of citizens but also on the quality of its leadership.
What it will take for Africa to rise above the challenges it has found itself in, is a combined effort at raising awareness both in the individual and social level. The observation made by Schopenhauer that you cannot see in another man any more than you have in yourself can be applied to how societies view themselves in relation to the world and not just in interpersonal relationships. It is only through the cultivation of an increased awareness-education, economic empowerment, leadership, and cultural reawakening-that the Africans would break loose from their shackles: historical injustices, economic challenges, and mental conditioning.
It is in broadening the collective vision and striving “to see over our own height” that the fullness of potential may be achieved and a future created that is much better than what today’s present circumstances will permit.
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