Things Fall Apart

History is just a bunch of stories about heroes against villains.  The good guys vs. the bad guys.  This is how every story goes... why would Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe be any different?

See, you have the good guys, who are the Africans, and then the bad guys, who are the white men.

Oh wait, no...  I'm sorry-- I meant to say that the good guys are the white men, and the bad guys are the Africans.

Wait that's definitely not right.  Okay, let's think this through:



According to the story, the people of Nigeria have a system that has been working for years.  They're happy, and they would never, not even for a second, doubt their government or religion.  They respect their gods, and live their lives according to their gods' will.

Then all of a sudden, a bunch of random white guys swoop in with total disregard for the culture of the Nigerians.  When they come to the village of Mbanta to preach, "[they tell them] that they [worship] false gods, gods of wood and stone" (Achebe 145).  The white men think it's literally their God-given duty to come to these people (who have been fine for the past hundreds of years!) and tell them that everything they believe in is a lie and that they need to change.


...So, obviously the imperialists are the bad guys, right?


Well, it's actually not that simple.  The thing is, these white guys truly do have the best of intentions.  Though they may be disrespecting the Africans' religion and culture, they aren't completely ignorant about it.  One of the white men says "All the gods you have named are not gods at all.  They are gods of deceit who tell you to kill your fellows and destroy innocent children" (146).  I mean, he has a point...

Also, according to Christianity, all of the Africans are destined to go to hell unless they convert.  The missionaries say, "We have been sent by this great God to ask you to leave your wicked ways and false gods and turn to Him so that you may be saved when you die" (145).  How bad of a guy can this priest be if all he wants is to save the Africans?

The missionaries also show love to outcasts, and save twin babies from dying.  So then that must mean they're the good guys...  Agreed?

Well wait, that's not fair.  I mean, the Umuofia and Mbanta people only casted out the osus and killed twin babies because in their culture, it's the right thing to do.

The Question:

Is a man who does bad things with good intentions a good guy or a bad guy?

Does this story even have good guys and bad guys?  Or is it just a bunch of people who may be misguided, but in the end are really all just trying to do the right thing...?

Maybe this whole "Good Guy, Bad Guy" thing is more complicated than I thought...

The Body Changes the Mind

In this Ted Talk, Amy Cuddy delves into the psychology of body language.  More specifically, she discusses how an open stance, such as this:

displays more power than a closed stance such as this:

However, what intrigued me was that she not only discussed how these poses affect how others think of us-- they also affect how we think of ourselves.  For example, if someone is ever sad, they should smile.  It is not only being happy that makes us smile, but apparently smiling can make us happy.

Similarly, a powerful stance can make us feel more confident than a timid stance.

When you think about it, this is a pretty life-changing concept.  Billions of people struggle with feelings of sadness or powerlessness every day.  Who knew the easiest solution was to simply. . .  smile?  To sit up a little straighter?  Open up a bit?  This not only increases other people's respect for us, but it increases our respect for ourselves.

So next time you feel sad or helpless, try simply adjusting the way you're presenting yourself.  And according to Amy Cuddy, after a while, you'll become a more confident, happy person altogether.  

"Don't fake it till you make it, fake it till you become it."

                           -Amy Cuddy