'Ignorance" the palace of poverty

The subject of this article may not be news to some of you, because I have written on a similar subject a few days ago. It wasn't my intention to write on this subject today, but after going through the previous article I published on the subject and reading the comment of one of my readers who commented that the reason most people are poor is a lack of government support for the poor and the rich not helping the poor around them, I was moved to dig deeper into the subject.

It is indeed disheartening to see in this era of the Internet and as the world gradually pushes for a complete artificial intelligence-based labor system, most people as still waiting on government aids, and the rich to help them out, instead of to come out of their ignorance and gain knowledge that can help them win the battle against poverty.

Truth be told, ignorance has contributed much to the poverty of any individual. No matter what the government will do, provide aid, donations, and other social services to the poor, if the root causes of their poverty are not addressed they will continue to suffer. Not because there is no money people are poor, but because of a lack of knowledge. And according to the scriptures, people are perishing for lack of knowledge. It is also common knowledge that knowledge is power, but what we should ask is "the power to do what?" It simply means having the power to change the course of one's life and to make changes in our environment for the betterment of humanity.

As stated in the previous article, a person is not ignorant because he did not go to school, but because he does not have the right information about how to do things, and when to do them. Any ignorant decision or choice made by a person will have a detrimental effect on his life. Decisions must be made wisely at the beginning of life if one wants to escape building a palace for poverty. The choice of which career to pursue, where to live, whom to marry, and the number of children to have must be made wisely. But when ignorance reigns none of these are considered, and many give up their lives for whatever comes. And the consequences of this are whatever you see is what you get.

Ignorance will rob a person of vision and ambition. It takes knowledge to have a desire, a future that you do not know cannot exist. The desire to help choose the right way to achieve a goal, as well as the right partners can help a person's speed in life. Most people suffer because they have an insatiable desire for prominence, and this is because they do not know. And this, if left unchecked, can lead to apathy, self-pity, and a sense of inadequacy. And it goes to a state where anyone who tries to succeed becomes an enemy.

This is a common occurrence in many families where poverty is building a palace and reigning as King. Because of the long history of poverty in such a family, whenever anyone tries to make an effort to be different because they have acquired certain information than other family members, most of the family members tried to reduce that person. To them, it is as if you were trying to make a change because you stole from them. Ignorance leads people to practice witchcraft and superstition, especially in the poorer rural communities.

Ignorance makes people cowards, and in many ways makes them poor. Many people watch while others progress because they are afraid of doing what another man does to be successful. Even if you try to introduce such people into a profitable business, they are shocked because they do not have the intellectual capacity to do the job, and then they continue to be poor. There is money everywhere, what people lack is the information to tap it.

Ten years ago, only a few people have the guts to believe in cryptocurrencies. But that is not the case today. Many people, especially young men who are graduates make millions a year from trading cryptocurrencies. Why not ten years ago? Ignorance is the cause. I got a chance to learn about cryptocurrency and blockchain during the coronavirus lockdown, and since I have got a way to make money from it. This is an additional source of income for my family. I learned how to do it and many other things.

It is believed that city dwellers are more likely to be financially successful. This belief has motivated many young men to pursue a career in this world by moving to the city in search of a job that may not be there. This is pure ignorance, that even a person who does not have a paper degree thinks that there is a job for him in the city. And what else? Some eventually regret having left their home. And some do not even have the means to return to their villages because of economic hardship. This belief held many people bound to their hard condition to the point of no return.

To sum up, this post, let me share an experience.

Two years ago, I traveled to Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, for a conference. While at the conference, I remembered my old college partner living in that city, and I had his numbers on my phone. I decided to try calling him to see if we could meet again after more than a decade. Luckily, we chatted on WhatsApp and agreed on a date. We agreed that he should come and pick me up at my conference venue since I didn't know where he lives in the City. But when the time came my friend sent a message that he was out of money at the time, so I asked him to send me his address.

With the address, I found where he lived. This friend of mine lives in a two-bedroom apartment with his wife and three children. The rent of the house costs about $ 450 a year, and his monthly take-home is only $ 130. I asked, "how do you cope with the situation?" His reply to me was that he had nothing else to do.

This might be funny, I know if this guy has stayed in his hometown doing business he would be better than he was at the time we met. Other people are in the same situation as my friend. Working hard in the city to get little or nothing to show for it. For them, there is no retreat, no surrounder. They would rather die there.

Ignorance has contributed more to poverty than anything else.