@Divineceo

Killing to live or Living by killing MAN is by default selfish and as such he does not reserve a second thought on the consequences of his actions in terms of the effects on his neighbours. By nature, man is wired to care only for himself and family; he cares less about his fellow beings; as long as he is satisfied, a check on others is needless. At times, man goes to the extent of making others uncomfortable to make himself comfortable. Once he’s fine, he is uninterested in any other person who isn’t fine. Some, as if their conscience is dead, have made harmful practices their jobs and way of life. These people with dead conscience make fortunes from harming people with their actions. There as been a serious warning on Nigerians on the dangers of consuming frozen foods as some unscrupulous people preserve them with formalin, a chemical substance meant for embalming dead human bodies. Frozen fish, chicken and turkey are the most common food items preserved with this poisonous chemical by fish and meat sellers. Formalin, when consumed is capable of causing severe damage to body organs. It revealed at another time that some ‘Kilishi’ (dry meat) sellers use Sniper, a poisonous chemical, to preserve and keep flies away from the meat. Barbaric! It was also uncovered how some marketers use kerosene or fuel tankers to convey vegetable oils to the market. In her words: “We have noticed that some tankers that are used to carry kerosene or petroleum products, they will just wash it a little and convey vegetable oil inside. It is very dangerous because definitely, such vegetable oil will be contaminated. Innocent people will go and buy these vegetable oils and in the end, they will contract diseases. The uncontrolled urge by many today to amass wealth stems from laziness and impatience. These people can go to any length to become wealthy overnight without paying their dues or going through the proper channel. This set of people with the get-rich-quickly mindset are the ones who go into rituals having to sacrifice human lives or even vital organs of their body just to make money.

How to revive a Malfunctioning Car Do you feel that your four-wheel drive has started to lose its spark? It is not as fast and up to the performance level like past.Over time, engines can lose their power, resulting in a notable drop in performance and reduced horsepower as well as efficiency. A car’s engine is a complex mechanism, and even the smallest component might result in reduced power. How do you exactly know about your engine's reduced power? As your car's mileage increases, its engine will experience natural wear and tear. There are a lot of signs of reduced engine power. Most notably, the check engine light appears on the dashboard, and you also push harder to accelerate at the same time. Apart from that, there is always some sign of exhaust smoke at the tailpipe and when you try to idle your car, it behave rough than normal. If all or few of them have been a regular experience, then you have to find out the remedy for your car’s engine problems. **What causes this dip in performance? And how can you prevent it?** **Check and replace Engine oil & oil filters** In general, an automobile goes through the internal lubrication and it needs engine oil. It does not only provide lubrication but helps in extending the life of an engine. However, an older car that has travelled certain distance might need a car oil change much before the expected time. A new oil filter that suits your car make and model, or an engine oil of the proper grade is main ingredient of a proper lubricant. Your car's engine will run more smoothly if you replace the oil filter, drain the old oil, and then add new, fresh oil. **Inspect spark plugs** Combustion process needs all the spark plugs intact as if they can provide the necessary spark, the combustion might get missed and it reflects in engine misfire. It's crucial to change spark plugs. Regular replacement of these is necessary to maintain the engine's peak efficiency and performance. Spark plugs for petrol engines should be replaced at least once a year or as part of a full service. On the other hand, you can go for spark plugs replacement every 15000 KM. It's also crucial to keep in mind that the age of the vehicle may affect how frequently spark plugs need to be changed. **Use additive to clean those clogged fuel injectors** In some cases, fuel filters are insufficient to keep particles and deposits out of the fuel system. These deposits travels all the way to the engine from the fuel tank and there is not filter under the hood for filtering out them. These tiny particles are sufficient to obstruct the fuel injectors' slender nozzle. And if that's the situation, you can't count on fuel injectors to deliver the right fuel to the combustion chamber. This is quite obvious in the form of engine performance problems in vehicles. However, this issue is simple to fix because all you need to do to clean those fuel injectors is use some fuel additives inside your fuel tank. This cleaner's cutting-edge cleaning formula dissolves dirt and boosts system performance. **Look out for any Malfunctioning Sensor** Nowadays, the cars are technological sophisticated with a long list of sensors. These sensors help drivers to ride their vehicle with more awareness. They also govern major operation of a vehicle too. These sensors are crucial for maintaining power and performance because they send signals to the ECU and check everything from temperature to engine operations. Engine sensor problems are rare, but when they do occur, they can lead to a variety of problems, including decreased engine output. And to make matters worse, because the symptoms are so similar to those of other under the hood problems, it can be challenging to identify a malfunctioning sensor. There are a number of potential causes if you've noticed a recent loss of power or feel like your car's engine is slowly degrading. However, there might be other minor issues such as the faulty fuel pump, worn ignition coil, faulty EGR valve, etc Even though some engine repair issues are minor, others necessitate immediate assistance from a car engine repair expert. Nevertheless, you cannot avoid the loss of engine power, but you reserve all right to bring it back at it best.

Does Women’s Education Truly End in the Kitchen? According to an African proverb; “Educating a male child is like educating a person while educating a girl is like educating a family and a whole nation.” Significantly, educating a girl child is like educating the mother of tomorrow who would bring up her children and family in the best approach to withstand the challenges in the future. Despite the level of civilization, it is very surprising that some people still believe that girls’ child education ends in the kitchen, so spending on her is a waste of resources. I am not a feminist, but when it comes to discrimination of any kind, I don’t give room for it because we are all equal before the law. Education is a right and not a privilege that needs to be enjoyed by all, irrespective of race, religion, and most especially gender. However, it is so saddening as I keep questioning myself rhetorically, “what brings about the notion that has even become a norm in some families?” Their major belief is that a girl is only meant for childbearing and the kitchen room. According to an African proverb; “Educating a male child is like educating a person while educating a girl is like educating a family and a whole nation.” Significantly, educating a girl child is like educating the mother of tomorrow who would bring up her children and family in the best approach to withstand the challenges in the future. Women tend to be the first teachers in children’s lives. They provide the tools for those children to be ready to be participative and inquisitive members of their societies. Take the likes of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, who was raised single-handedly by his mother, Ann Dunham, if not for her level of education and the knowledge she has, what would have become the life of her children? Similarly, a great Islamic scholar of Hadith, Imam Muhammad Al-Bukhari, memorized 500,000 Hadith when he was blind with the help of his mother who used to read them to his hearing. Today, we can see women heading high positions in the ministry, health sectors, aviation, and so on. Some countries are even headed and governed by women. An adage says, “Behind every successful man, there’s always a woman.” This means that a great man’s success is determined by his wife’s efforts and unrelenting support without which he might fail in planning and decision making. Perhaps, we can say that a woman can not achieve this if her education is not given the utmost priority. I would urge the populace to stop the discrimination and hypocrisy against the feminine gender and build a nation of educated leaders together, regardless of gender. Our home (life) would be brighter if we have well-educated wives and mothers in our families. Let us make changes. There are a lot of potentials in our women, beyond the kitchen rooms.

2022: Don’t Quit, Learn From The Four Lepers Procrastination will always keep anyone in one position. Aptly put, in this 2022, whatever anyone set his or her mind to do should be done without deferment. In fact, the core message in this message is that in this 2022 we should eschew quitting from a venture we are about to embark on, particularly as the four lepers did not quit from what they proposed to embark on. There is no denying the fact that each passing year provides the opportunity for people who are desirous of surviving the harsh and unfriendly economy to make resolutions in the bid to become somewhat trouble-free but bungle the resolve and discard it; even before the month of March. Unfortunately, one of the secrets to attaining financial independence is that it doesn’t usually “just happen” but starts with a detailed plan, and a willingness to commit to that plan. Ostensibly to help those who wants to get going in the right direction, there are lessons to learn from the story of the four lepers as exemplified in II Kings 7:3-10. https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-1426093765201871&output=html&h=250&adk=1879059317&adf=1179825582&pi=t.aa~a.1209929155~i.2~rp.4&w=330&fwrn=7&fwrnh=100&lmt=1641262035&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=1210515812&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=330x250&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.opinionnigeria.com%2F2022-dont-quit-learn-from-the-four-lepers-by-isaac-asabor%2F&flash=0&host=ca-host-pub-2644536267352236&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=275&rw=330&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&wgl=1&fa=27&uach=WyJBbmRyb2lkIiwiMTEuMC4wIiwiIiwiSW5maW5peCBYNjg4QiIsIjkzLjAuNDU3Ny42MiIsW10sbnVsbCxudWxsLCIiXQ..&dt=1641261675263&bpp=14&bdt=5537&idt=15&shv=r20211207&mjsv=m202112060101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D11240f7ea2ad33b8-224ea5dadfce0068%3AT%3D1641260898%3ART%3D1641260898%3AS%3DALNI_Mbn4OrilgW4jCPzvppwCPfMHf-d1Q&prev_fmts=0x0%2C360x300%2C360x300%2C360x300%2C360x300%2C360x680&nras=4&correlator=151103666833&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=327609417.1641260896&ga_sid=1641261672&ga_hid=696957418&ga_fc=1&u_tz=60&u_his=6&u_h=820&u_w=360&u_ah=820&u_aw=360&u_cd=24&u_sd=2&dmc=4&adx=15&ady=1497&biw=360&bih=427&scr_x=0&scr_y=167&eid=44750774%2C21067496&oid=2&psts=AGkb-H9EXhkwRQoOvM3gtQUf5V_oFMYB9qP91MHev8k_U6CyhdFpM9Cks667G7xM3DeNPZuCPQRHBFRbU-XFEXo%2CAGkb-H_zXYJK_zYJpo3FQ0TvtqhIXoskfVdHPQU6okY5FfCZDYbc7FrJec1XIWpx3UzOhYYIcypRP5f1WqzoZMo%2CAGkb-H8sy1M3wDQuaNYFGE6MbsijoFIKyGg0zLYAIqtYBMV993I1pLyQUjq8MDov3EmTmHDo3qbZLjlG&pvsid=2410474912966700&pem=59&tmod=29&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.opinionnigeria.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C360%2C0%2C360%2C680%2C360%2C427&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&ifi=8&uci=a!8&btvi=4&fsb=1&xpc=nWEk72rH14&p=https%3A//www.opinionnigeria.com&dtd=M As understood from the scripture, the four lepers were the most unlikely heroes as they had no status, no resources, and only a faint ray of hope that something good could happen to them, but they found the courage to take a step into the dark, into the desert, and into a destiny they never dreamed possible. In fact, the Lepers Lessons is an ancient story that remains relevant today, particularly in 2022 that humanity just entered few days ago. The foregoing hopeless situation which describes the lepers in this context quite relates with the situation which most Nigerians are facing today. To my view, the story of the lepers as documented in the Bible provides an answer to the unpleasant financial situation which most Nigerians are faced with, hence the need for the expression of this opinion article. In fact, the story of the lepers provides an answer that can transform the life of anyone in this 2022. Perhaps you are asking “How can lepers equip me, a graduate or a skilled artisan with the template that I need to succeed in this 2022? Perhaps you are asking; “How on earth can the story of lepers guide me on how to face life challenges of all people? Well, if you harbour the forgoing questions in your mind, then its time do away with them because In the Book of 2 Kings 7:3-10, the Bible spoke of four lepers who were outside the gate of Samaria. These lepers as the passage goes-were at the brink of death-and as was the custom of Israel at the time-they weren’t permitted to get into the gates of the city to look for food as they were regarded as outcast. These lepers were even ready to defy the law of the time if it would bring them succour. However, on considering the various options at hand, they knew that entering the city gate was not in any way the best of option as even the city was under severe famine-with no food available. Rather, they decided that their best option was to advance to the Syrian camp even when they knew they could end up being killed by the Syrians. At this juncture, it is expedient to ask, “What are the lessons learnt from the four lepers that can be brought to bear in our daily lives in 2022? The first lesson is that we should always strategize. Before the lepers made the move to quell their hunger, they systematically planned the next step to take. They refused to remain at the same spot. Most people wait for God to always tell them in their dreams; “Do this and do that”. Without revelation they sit down at the same spot. And continue earnestly in prayers, forgetting that the Holy-Spirit wants them to make a move so that He can back them. Not only that, they forget that in order to succeed, they need to plan like Joseph did. According to Genesis 41, Joseph set up a plan that ensured there was sufficient food during the time of famine. This goes to show that we need to plan if we desire to succeed. Another strategy is that there should be willingness to take risk. The lepers knew that moving to Syrian camp to find food was risky; however, they decided to go to camp-instead of staying at one spot to wait for Manna from Heaven. At the end of the day the risk paid off and they personally delivered Israel from the throes of death. This shows that it is only the man who is willing to come out of his comfort zone that will end up succeeding in life. In the same vein, there is need to always gather information in 2022 before embarking on the execution of any programme. The lepers had useful information that enabled them to put in place a strategic plan with which they achieved success. The take away from this story is that a lot of people hardly update themselves with the latest trends in their respective field. Not only that, there is need to keep abreast of the latest policy changes in government throughout the year. It is worthwhile for everyone to understand the goings on in his or her sector of endeavour as that will put him or her in good stead to take the next step. Based on the information received, it would put every player on a vantage position to operate without loss, and this will give any player in the sector an edge over others who were not privy of the information and as an end result they are likely to suffer loss on the grounds of such ignorance. Be that as it may, the most motivational part of the scripture says, “If we say, ‘we’ll go into the city’, the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Aramean’s and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.” Interpretatively put, procrastination will always keep anyone in one position. Aptly put, in this 2022, whatever anyone set his or her mind to do should be done without deferment. In fact, the core message in this message is that in this 2022 we should eschew quitting from a venture we are about to embark on, particularly as the four lepers did not quit from what they proposed to embark on.

How To Start a Profitable Dropshipping Business For Beginners In 2022 How to start a profitable Dropshipping business for beginners is a common question many newbies looking to make genuine income online are asking today ***Why is that?*** Because dropshipping business is one of the best ways to make money online and can be a very lucrative business for you even in 2022 and beyond The low barrier to entry has made it so popular in the past few years and has made it a highly competitive business However, I am going to show you in this post all the steps and things you have to do to succeed and carve your own space in this highly competitive but also lucrative business even as a beginner. Now is the best time to start your own Dropshipping Business. You have to get your own share of this pie. What Is a Dropshipping Business? In simple terms, Dropshipping is a kind of business model in which you can sell products without ever holding an inventory Once you make a sale, your supplier takes care of delivering or shipping the products to your customer. You do not have to bother yourself with storing, packaging or even shipping the products Your main work here is promotion and advertisement while your supplier handles the rest of the work involved. How Does the Dropshipping Business Model Work? The Dropshipping business model is very simple and straight forward. It is a triangle business model involving three parties. The retailer, the supplier (dropshipper) and the customer. The retailer who happens to be you finds a supplier (the dropshipper) for his products. He sets up a Dropshipping store and put up the products there. He does the promotions and marketing, gets a customer and sells the product at a marked up price. He then contacts the supplier and pays for the products ( in lesser amounts than he sold it) who ships the products directly to the customer and he (the retailer) takes the profit margin. Pretty simple. Isn’t it ? Let’s proceed **What Are The Pros and Cons Of Dropshipping Business For Beginners** Have you ever heard the phrase “everything has an advantage and a disadvantage”? The Dropshipping Business, on the other hand, is not an exception. As a result, I’d want to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this business model. This is not intended to change your mind about this successful business, but rather to provide you with information, as any real business has pros and cons. Pros (Advantages of Dropshipping Business). The benefits of Dropshipping vastly exceed the disadvantages, as one might imagine. The list is as follows: **Dropshipping has low barrier to entry**  Unlike the traditional store and e-commerce business that requires huge capital to get started as a result of either developing, manufacturing or even buying the products to be sold. Dropshipping has no such hefty financial commitment to get started as you don’t have business developing and even storing inventory.  Consequently, many well meaning individual can enter in to the business just by understanding how it works **There is Zero Worries About Managing Inventory** Traditional stores and e-commerce sites usually pay for products upfront and stores the products in a physical warehouse when the products arrives  after a period of waiting Also, Handling and storage costs of some products could get high and stressful to manage. And in unfortunate cases, this may incrue some financial risks not planned for. This is not the case with Dropshipping. Your supplier handles all of the inventory management for you and all the risks associated with inventory management is removed **Financial Risks Are Minimally Reduced.** The tradition with running a physical store or an e commerce is that you buy your products and keep. In times and days that luck might run out of you, you might by large volume of products that don’t sell. When this happens, your bear all the financial risks alone Also, testing of new products can get financially risky as you must have to buy the products to test the market. Dropshipping business reduces this for you to the barest minimal **There is an Improved cash flow**  In Dropshipping model, you can actually use your customers money to run your business  completely. Once you confirm your customers payment. You take your profit and place an order to your supplier who ships the products to your customer. This in turn improves the flow of cash for you as the dropshipper **It’s a Smart Means To Creating Passive Income** I teach smart ways to make and increase your income online and learning how to Start your Dropshipping Business can be one of the smart ways to create a lucrative passive income and because this is a real business, it will  require the upfront effort to get the ball rolling. After this, you just monitor and make your money **Cons (Disadvantages Of Dropshipping Business)** The cons of Dropshipping Business for Beginners As expected, there would also be some pitfalls and downsides especially  Dropshipping Business for beginners and it is only fair I let you in on some of the cons of the business. These should not deter you regardless **1. HighCompetition** This goes without saying as it’s been stated from the forgoing that it has low entry barrier. Every business that requires less capital to start and has little or no form of restrictions to enter into it is known to be highly competitive. Dropshipping is one of such businesses This is why it is very important to plan well and do proper niche and product selection to scale through the competition. **2. Thereis no control In Supply Chain** In typical ecommerce and traditional stores, customers can complain about product quality, delivery time etc and  you can attend to them. While dropshipping puts you at the whim of your supplier, you’re still in charge of engaging directly with your clients. This can be frustrating as any failure in the part of the supplier will affect you negatively leaving you with negative customer reviews. **3.It is difficult to build a brand** Customers are majorly focused on your products and the shopping experience they get from your shop. Also, when you supplier runs out of stock, it affects your business and building so building a brand becomes even more difficult. STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO START A PROFITABLE DROPSHIPPING BUSINESS FOR BEGINNERS Step 1. Decide On Your Niche To really start a Profitable dropshipping business as a beginner. It is important you figure out your niche. This is a segment of the market you want to occupy and dominate. For example, you may decide to go into children’s toys and specialise in it. Figuring out your niche is the first step to starting a profitable dropshipping business for beginners. It is a very important exercise that should be done with in-depth analysis and great carefulness The choice you will make at this stage will make or nar your Dropshipping Business goals. Why? You may likely ask This is simply because of the ever rising popularity of the business. This translate that as more people enter in to it, it is becoming really difficult to find niches that are underserved (not saturated) But there’s good news: brilliant people like you are always promoting new products, resulting in the emergence of new niches. As a result, if you’re just starting out today, there are plenty of niches to choose from More so, I am going to be giving you great niche ideas on this post Nonetheless, you have to do your own personal research not to fall into a niche that you can’t raise your head above the water as a beginner Best Dropshipping niche ideas for beginners Toys and hobbies Beauty Health Electronics Mens Clothing and accessories Women’s clothing and accessories Mothers and kids Watches Sports Entertainment Gadgets When you’ve arrived at a decision on a niche. It’s time to find a product (or products) in your chosen sector to prove your point. Step 2. Choose A supplier The next step is to choose a dropshipping supplier. This another sensitive stage on starting a Dropshipping Business for beginners. These suppliers own the products you sell, they keep inventory as well as handles the shipping of the products to the customers. So you see they play the major role and determine how well your Dropshipping Business will do If you don’t take great care in choosing a good supplier. It may adversely affect your business completely Now you want to ensure you find a very reliable dropshipping supplier that provides the high-quality service you need to grow even as a complete beginner AliExpress is a fantastic place to look for a reputable supplier. https://www.aliexpress.com/3Dwwwhome2mobilesitehome%26spider%3Dy&ved=2ahUKEwiTy5Lem4H0AhUECRoKHYpvDl0QFnoECDYQAg&usg=AOvVaw0GXLsc4AXk1TvVYMyWudpn Checking a supplier’s seller rate is one technique to spot an excellent one on AliExpress. You should look for sellers who have a score of 90 percent or higher. AliExpress is almost certainly the finest option for anyone interested in dropshipping. Step 3. Build Your Dropshipping Store After finding a reliable supplier for your product. It is time to set up and launch your Dropshipping store.This is just like the normal e-commerce store where you display your products, send traffic to and even process payments One of the popular platform to set up your store is Shopify. It makes launching your e-commerce sites very easy for even newbies https://www.shopify.com/online You may use Shopify to sell, administer, and even take payments. Most importantly, you won’t have to worry about not being a designer or developer because everything will be taken care of for you. You might also consider using WordPress to create your online store. This solution is incredibly cost effective, and you can use powerful plugins like the woocommerce plugin to help you manage your business effectively. https://woocommerce.com/ Step 4. Start Driving Traffic To Your Dropshipping Store It’s time to sell at this moment. This entails attracting customers to your store. The money is in the traffic, and the more people that visit your store, the more likely you are to make sales. As a result, you should make a concerted effort to attract highly focused traffic that will mostly convert into consumers. You may achieve this in a variety of ways, but one of the quickest is to run paid adverts in your store. If you have a budget, do this; otherwise, use organic methods such as Pinterest traffic, social network traffic, and so on. **Frequently Asked questions about Dropshipping Business For Beginners** There are a lot of questions newcomers have ask regarding how to start a profitable dropshipping business for beginners and as this post is targeted to beginners. I’ll do my best to respond to the majority of them. **Is Dropshipping Still Worth It In 2022?** Yes, in 2022, dropshipping is still profitable. Although, as large e-commerce sites like Amazon continue to dominate the business, it is getting more difficult now than it was back then. This is why I recommend that if you want to establish a Dropshipping Business for beginners, you should do so within your close surroundings. It becomes easier because you will be able to outperform the competition sooner, resulting in a higher profit margin. **How much do beginner dropshipper make?** As a beginner, you might expect to make anywhere from $500 and $2000 each month. Depending on a variety of conditions, this might be less or more. On a serious note, if you treat your business seriously, you will break even. **How To start Dropshipping Business For Free?** Starting a Dropshipping Business for beginners comes with questions such as this. Many newcomers wonder if they can start a Dropshipping business without spending any money. This question has a simple answer: YES. Let me explain how you can start a Dropshipping Business without spending any money. If you’re familiar with the Dropshipping concept, you’ll notice that after the business is up and running, you’ll be doing most of your work with your customers’ money. The first step is to choose which things you want to offer. Instead of going general, look around your area to see if any manufacturers or wholesalers of similar products accept Dropshipping. Contact them and ask to join their Dropshipping program. This is a completely free service. The next thing to do is set up your online store. Rather than setting up an online store with specialized platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, or even WordPress, which will undoubtedly cost you money, you may do it this way. You’ll create your own business page on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. They will serve as your online store and it is a totally free service. The page is then optimized for the things you want to offer. Then, by being really active on the platform, you’ll begin attracting visitors to your pages. This will increase the number of people who see your products on your pages, resulting in more sales. **Is Dropshipping a good side hustle?** It’sa profitable good side hustle you can start up as a beginner and make smart income doing it.

Is it really necessary to abandon your single friends once you get married? Is it really necessary to abandon your single friends once you get married? When it comes to marriage culture, there seems to be a lot of things that require change. Instant change, as a matter of fact, acquired habits, such as overspending has been spoken against repeatedly. Of course, it is one thing to speak against something; whether or not any form of social change is being effected by that condemnation is another thing. While we wait for more people to come to accept the sensible option of having wedding ceremonies tailored to their financial capabilities, we might as well begin to tackle another marriage-related issue. Apparently, it is a thing for married women to cut off their single friends once they become hitched. Two or more women could be besties for such a long time, sharing secrets, going out together, *living their best lives*, creating memories and building a memorable friendship out of those moments shared. As soon as one of them gets married, it is not unusual for the married one to cut off her friendship with the single woman. Many friendships have ceased to exist once one person marries. [Credit: Koko] Some people believe that this often happens due to a paranoia on the part of the married woman, that one of those friends may want to take her man from her, that they are jealous of her or in other cases, because there’ll no longer be a common ground for them to operate on. It is also believed in some quarters that married women who dump their friends do it because upon marriage, their priorities change and would no longer be the same with that of their unmarried friends. Obviously, these are reasons that are not rooted in any form of sound principle. A little rattling and everything comes tumbling down. For example, the idea that a married woman would rather make friends with only married women because single friends would contrive to steal her man seems to ignore the reality that men who want to cheat will do so with any woman they set their eyes on; married or not. And also, if a friend is bent on ‘taking’ your man from you, her marital status may really not count for much. The idea that priorities of women change when they get married actually sounds *kinda* right. If it is considered from the angle of having to worry about kids and becoming more responsible for little ones who depend heavily on them, yes it makes sense. https://8f97cffe2a61ae11cb70688a55f9db3d.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html But the idea is also used sometimes knock down single women, especially those who are 30 and above, who are pursuing their best lives without an obsessive desire to get married. It is not uncommon for our society to view such women as being less 'responsible' than women who have married and 'settled down.' The problem with this is that it is a harmful generalization that trivializes [and in some cases, completely disregards] the responsible choices that single women make out here day after day. That none of those decisions revolves around men and getting married does not make them less important. I could go on and on discrediting the reasons often cited in support of this married woman prejudice, but what’s more important at this point is to mention that when married women continually ostracize their single friends for no other reason than their marital status, it is another passive form of pressuring people to date and marry. Friends forever [Credit: Smagonline] https://8f97cffe2a61ae11cb70688a55f9db3d.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html When single people are cut out of friendships and meant to feel like outsiders in their own inner circle, it is another obvious manifestation of how our society and its agents of socialization condition people to view marriage as an elevated form of existence, one that places you on a different pedestal of respectability, over and above people who may not feel like doing so in the nearest future – or ever at all. Without digressing too far, I should add that I think there is nothing wrong with people drifting apart over the years due to obvious and genuine differences in schedules, lifestyle and distance. That is an accepted part of life. To also cut off people who have shown shady characters and less-than-acceptable behaviours is nothing to raise eyebrows over. But to intentionally and maliciously move away from your friends for no other reason than their marital status and a sudden, unfounded suspicion of their intentions towards you, is neither necessary, nor sensible.