By Nneka Okumazie
No society goes forward without its smartest people pulling their weight. It is possible to speak of wars, tools, or other kinds of strengths, but most advance come by a superior plan, or design – mostly unseen, or untried that gives the edge.
There are no societies without smart people, but there are possibly societies where their smart people don’t pull enough weight, or the creativity doesn’t seem enough to break the backwardness.
Often, societies have their most learned. They also have their most exposed. They have experts at making another laugh, dance, enjoy scenes, or connect to stories or some emotions. There are those who share what they learn or know – in new ways, etc.
While these and others mean some form of smartness, it is not often the path to development or greatness that moves society forward.
There are those who get lofty positions internally or externally, or win major recognitions or awards, though cool, but not progress.
There are societies whose politicians are skilled at unctuous deception, whose quest is for naked power for avarice, or resources that make life easier for them in their tough society.
If it is often dominant to spot [or say perceive] the richest in society or the flashiest, or sharp branding or packaging, reputation laundering, their critics, or whatever else than their smartest, that society remains backwards – mostly.
Where is it to point to, to find those smart not just for the sake of it, but together on major projects, working at it, growing, making a difference in an intergenerational move – in a society? Not some copycats, or some hyped air, but fitting ingenuity [with total courage] for solutions to their problems?
There are many societies that have a dedicated budget for their growth and development, and those fiercely intelligent, burningly passionate, and excessively relentless on what they want to solve, create, change, or improve, that makes the budget show conspicuous and beneficial results.
Societies whose smartest people do not pull their weight are often societies where everyone chases money, or comfort, so that no matter the position or endeavour, the goal is not to solve the problem, but to have more than others, keep it, show off, abandon the society at will, blame others, etc.
The major problem of underdevelopment is how extraordinarily ruinous it is for so many. Life is hard, but underdevelopment makes it worse.
Yes, not everyone may be in the quarter per cent or more of the smartest, but in a society void of smart people pulling their weight, waste or more of generations spike.
The pursuit of the meal of the moment is prime for most in many societies. Meaningfulness for them isn’t autarky, but the trend for personal or crony benefit.
The society of unscrupulousness – the following anything for the money as the outcome, caring free of others or the future.
Societies as these – have their own people, mainly as their own enemies.
[Joshua 5:13, And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with His sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?]