Once upon a time, as a secondary school teacher, I tried my best to challenge my students' way of thinking above the normal average human mind. I wanted to break their stereotypical mindset.

So one day I came to class and asked one of my students (who was considered to be the "dullest" in class) in JSS 3 to recite the 4 times multiplication table. The little boy was somewhat terrified, you could literally see fear in his eyes as he sluggishly stands up from his seat. He must have thought that I have come to mock him like other teachers and probably remind him that he's not serious like his peers. His classmates had already started laughing at him when I gave him the exercise.

However, the boy started his recitation not as smart as his classmates would, but he was doing well, though slowly. Out of fear and lack of confidence in what he was doing he would juggle between numbers in their numerical order and times them by 4. What I mean is he'd say 4 x 2 = 8 and then jump to 4 x 9 = 36 and then, realising that he was suppose to recite 4 times 3,4,5,6, and 7 before 8, he'd say "sorry" and then go back to counting his fingers. But he was mathematically correct throughout.

Whenever he made a mistake his classmates would laugh at him, dampening his confidence and kị́llị́ng his morale. Some would even correct him while jesting at him. I kept quiet and focused on the boy until he finished the recitation.

After everything, I asked the class what was wrong with what this boy had done and they all said he failed the exercise because he didn't arrange the multiplication table in numerical order. So I asked some questions "Did I say he should recite the 4 times multiplication table in their correct numerical order; does it matter whether or not he did 4 x 8 before 4 x 3 if his answers are correct?"
I went on to tell them that that's the reason some of them can not say the value of 4 x 6 correctly without starting to times from 4x1 till they get to 4x6.

I opened their minds to understand that life is all about results, it doesn't have to follow a set order or pattern. Just do what works for you and stick with it. Therefore, people aren't as dull as we think them to be, they're just smart in unusual ways not common to the status quo. We're all differently unique, one's difference does not make them lesser or better than others. Life is all about results.

You'll find this same problem when you ask people to recite Nigeria's State and capital; everybody would want to start from Abia - Umuahia and then end with Zamfara - Gusau as if all the states are lined up in alphabetical order on the map. Meanwhile one can start from Cross River - Calabar and end with Adamawa - Yola so long as you correctly mention the other states and capital. Weird right? But where's the lie biko?

One problem humans have is stereotype, it's there in families, cultures and traditions, religion, government, church doctrines, etc... and it's negatively affecting growth in society such that anyone that dares to think outside the box is termed stubborn, bad, or foooish.

Life is all about results, so long as the steps taken to attain these results are legal, just, and righteous. I hope you get the message?
God help us all
#ThoughtsFromTheOtherSide #Luxius