27/04/2025
People are often so attached to their heroes that they adopt them as their truth. They will do anything to save the hero, defending his foibles and explaining away his glaring hypocrisy. At times it is so bad they follow him right into decrepitude and get dragged in the mud.
Why is this so? A hero is a figure in the reflected light of whom you can find value and meaning. To see the fall of such a figure will mean the collapse of everything the follower has stood for for many years and made sacrifices and endured the loss of relationships. The longer they have been in the tow, the harder it is to go back because the more the emotional, social and even intellectual investments.
Nothing is harder for human beings than admitting that all along, they have followed something or someone who or which they now know is false. It is so devastating some will rather die that way instead of facing the shame of , 'I did not know it was untrue'.
What will people say? Who will believe me from the on? People will wonder if whatever I say or do afterwards is not another mistake. My sense of judgement will be questioned for ever. How will I face those who went with me and the friends I made there?
Heavy questions all, for those who truly value the truth, there are no issues at all. They will make a clean turn and begin to energetically work against a thing they once backed in error because they now know it is not the truth and it is the truth they seem.
— John Ogunlela
