• Reflection

By George Ozalla

Some individuals are created to be serial troublemakers; no matter the kindness shown, they repay it with betrayal. They live false lives, thrive on blackmail, and attack with venom when expectations are not met. Beware: they are fugitives of truth, mendicants of attention, and wanderers without integrity.

“If you don’t court controversy, you will still be caught by controversy.” This holds a bitter truth—life is not a straight path paved with roses. No matter how careful you tread, thorns will prick your feet. No matter how you bend backward to avoid offense, some people are born to be offended. There are individuals whose nature is nothing short of venomous—serial troublemakers who, no matter the kindness you extend, will always repay you with ingratitude.

These are not mere disagreements of human nature; they are deeply entrenched patterns in the DNA of some men and women. To them, goodness is weakness, kindness is foolishness, and compassion is something to be exploited. It is in their blood to stir strife, and the more you feed them with care, the hungrier they grow for your downfall. They are the proverbial tares in the farm—pull one out, another sprouts overnight. Walk barefoot on that field, and their prickles will find your flesh.

The bitter irony is this: the closer you are to such people, the more dangerous they become. The same ones who ate your bread yesterday will be the first to blackmail you tomorrow. The same ones who leaned on your shoulder in weakness will sharpen knives for your back in secret. Some grow overly aggressive when their expectations of “special attention” or romantic indulgence are not met. Suddenly, interaction is twisted into betrayal, and disappointment into fabricated scandal.

“Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.” — William Shakespeare.

There are human beings who exist as nothing but embodiments of chaos. They are fugitives of truth, mendicants of attention, and wanderers with no roots in integrity. They live false lives, parade false achievements, and brag with hollow chests about victories they never won. They are predators disguised as victims, accusers who thrive on dragging others into the mud just to feel tall. They crave pity where they deserve rebuke, and they demand respect where they have earned nothing but shame.

Beware of such souls. They are more dangerous than wild animals because the beast in the jungle attacks out of hunger or defense, but these two-legged beasts destroy for sport. The hyena is honest about its scavenging, but man in falsehood cloaks himself with deceit.

“Man is the cruelest animal.” — Friedrich Nietzsche.

When you stand upright, don’t bother if your shadow is crooked. — Chinese proverb. There are those who are raised in trouble and in the boxing ring, and they carry that mentality all through their lives. I often bury myself in deep thought and reflection on how to impact humanity on a larger scale, regardless of where you come from. Yet, I have realized this bitter truth: if I offer a hand, some will try to drag my feet and stretch to grab my neck. Have you ever pondered that if you are not like them, naturally, complexity and jealousy will set in?

In all we do, we must realize that we all ought to be under the law. Attempt to be above the law breeds chaos and a state of anarchy. Shrink not so that people with poor perception or extreme narrow-mindedness will not feel intimidated. Journalistic instinct is in me, trade unionism is in me, social activism is in me, welfarism is in me, and the act of cowardice is a no-no for me. I love humanity, I love nature, and above all, I love God.

In the end, controversy is not always invited—it often finds you. No matter how upright you stand, the crooked will accuse you of being bent. No matter how silent you stay, the noisy will still drag your name through their chaos. But it is better to be pricked by the thorns of tares while walking upright, than to bow to the weeds and lose your dignity.

Evil may rear its ugly head, but the honest must never bow to the fugitive, the mendicant, or the wanderer!

*Publisher & Editor-in-Chief