Reflections on a Philosophy of Moderation
A sha ruwa kadankada 
A sha ruwa small small
A sha ruwa Kadankada
A sha ruwa small small
𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐞𝐥𝐰𝐚 𝐘𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝟖𝟎𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭.
It was a naming ceremony within the Yoruba community when people treated themselves to the Ijagbo, Kwara State, made Lager Beer, Noble. A moment when heavily drunk individuals started speaking grammar that may not exist in any known dictionary, when people were quarrelling over issues that may not exist.
Of course, there were other people present who were partially drunk and some who still had their heads over their necks. Yours truly was a water-drinking, almost gentle young teenager who witnessed all the events unfold.
Then came the three-person band onto the scene. Armed with a string instrument (Goje in the similitude of Dan Maraya, Jos), a drum and the third person who kept the purse (not Judas Iscariot, I believe). Seeing what was going on, they started singing the song above.
Before we could say Jack, those who were partially drunk trooped to the floor to dance to the band’s melodious tune, when enveloped in the complete spirit of Owambe, dipped their hands into their pockets and started pasting money on the band leader’s forehead. The third man, the purse, was at his best, ensuring none of the money was missing. As the enjoyment continued, those already paralyzed by excessive consumption grew dismissive of the musician’s advice.
𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒖𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒖𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒆, 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎.
The song’s import is advice on moderation.
However, certain things were not noticeable.
Those who took the advice and applied caution in the drinking spree.
Those who were carried away by the song’s lyrics and just keyed into its entertainment.
Those who have gone too far for the lyrics to make any sense to them.
Those being sober, reflected on the song’s lyrics and saw beyond the immediacy of the song, and thought deeply about why moderation can become a virtue.
Let us try to unpack the four categories.
𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐞.
These are categories of people who may have already immersed themselves in certain behaviours, activities or even a vocation that may not be heading in the right direction. When someone shows up on the horizon to offer even unsolicited advice, they see reason, make the necessary detour, pause, or quit completely based on the advice. To these categories of people, they will always benefit when anyone lets them be aware of the need to apply the caution button. The great thing about them is that they neither dismiss such advice nor fail to act on it.
𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠’𝐬 𝐥𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.
These are the kind of people who, though they listen and respond to some great advice, do not intend to act on it. They may applaud and speak glowingly to the adviser, and offer a deeper interpretation of the advice, but it does not go beyond that. Like the legendary 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫, it is common for them to say, “Trust me, I know what I am doing.” Just like those who converted the sober moment of the musician to a money-spending and dancing moment, the entertaining part is more important than the real message.
𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.
There are instances where, despite how sensible some advice can be, people think it is not meant for them, as they have crossed the line beyond any hope of redemption. Yes, this is not uncommon in spiritual matters, especially for those who have ever tried to preach salvation or redemption to people before. In fact, many will tell you that they have gone too far for whatever you are saying to make any meaning to them. So, they are dismissive of any call to moderation. They think they have gone too far to think about anything called moderation.
𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠’𝐬 𝐥𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐞.
These are people who are not unnecessarily encumbered and actively listen to the voice of reason. They are on their own and may not subscribe to the herd mentality, as many in the crowd interpret events and follow them. They see things from their own merits or otherwise and reflect deeply on how they may affect them personally. They weigh themselves and see if they are already crossing the lines and seek possible remediation from whatever excesses the advice seeks to address. They benefit from the hindsight they have unconsciously omitted or did not know existed.
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨? 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲?
Your thoughts and views are welcome.
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(𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐬)