At what stage does one wake up and everything the government and people of a nation does is bad, stupid and nonsensical? At what point do we catch ourselves, reflect and realise that there is often more than meets the eye when it comes to running a country; especially one that has had wars? What does it say about us, if in our postings as expatriates, in a country many of us claim to be here to help, we only see negatives? We see the locals as dishonest, dunce and not worthy of our patience? Who are we if we want quality service but refuse to pay for it because TIA (This is Africa) so it should not cost that much? Philosophers hold a place in this world that is often overlooked. They put out thoughts and feelings for one to ponder and reflect on. The somewhat pessimistic thinker Thomas Hobbes, in his book Leviathan, expresses his views on humankind. Hobbes saw us as selfish, as well as driven only by the fear of death and the quest for personal gain. During my university years I spent hours arguing the merits of Hobbes’ thoughts and was convinced that he was correct. By my late 20s I was embarrassed at myself for having believed that man was naturally brutish and selfish. I silently scolded myself and wrote off my early ideas as the effect of youthful exuberance mingled with the dynamism and fire of a political science study. By the time I became a mother there was no way I could subscribe to the idea that the world is not a wonderful place filled with only a sprinkling of bad. Just a few weeds in an otherwise well-manicured garden was how I perceived bad in the world. I reflected on the slave trade and the Holocaust as cruel acts but somehow still cast aside my earlier Hobbesian views. Now in my 40s I am utterly confused. Confused because each day I watch as we treat each other with scant regard at the simplest things. I am not referring to a moment of raised voice in a restaurant or a shout at someone who becomes an annoyance. My confusion comes from what I refer to as ‘expatriate privilege’. That attitude that permeates like a bad odor from those of us who are from other countries but work in another which is poorer or less developed than our own. Many of us could be referred to as regular Joes in our home countries. Almost just mere blips on the radar who have a daily routine without notoriety or societal acknowledgement of any sorts. But we land on the shores of smaller poorer nations and we reinvent ourselves as saviours and know-it-alls, completely intolerant of the natives, their governments and anything else which tickles our fancy. Not only do we rarely stop to reflect before we comment and criticize but we also encourage others to be the same. So after years of this we end up with expatriates aka cynics without a true cause or care. How do we end this? When we are guests in a country how do we catch ourselves from criticizing every single local decision made before actually thinking through the reason for the action. Why because something is different from what we know does that mean it must be wrong? Why are we now the bastion of all things correct when abroad while at home we are but one bird in the flock? How do we stop ourselves from comparing everything with how it is back home? For many expatriates, home is a place that has existed as an independent state for a few hundred years. That means our society has had time to evolve, to learn and to grow. However, in many of the expatriate posts in poorer less developed nations, the societies have existed as independent states for less than 60 years. That then means that development of places, citizenry and systems are not necessary comparable using any fair measure. To ask why certain things are not yet fully developed is to do so in one of two ways. We can ask the why with a view to understand or with a view to criticize and with judgment in our tone and choice of words. Maybe we need to focus on the initial kind of “why” versus the latter. Let us try to be more reflective and tolerant while being less judgmental and critical. This is not to say there isn’t room for criticism, but so are many situations in our own home nations. Find me a perfect nation and I show you heaven. How about we try to understand the other perspective without thinking that our way is the better one just because it comes from our expatriate mind? Let us not prove Hobbes right because human beings are much more than brutish and selfish. We also have the capacity for kindness, reflection and care. The views expressed in this article are of the author.
