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DO YOU JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER? KEY LESSON FROM BB NAIJA 5




The English idiom ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ is a phrase which means one shouldn’t prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. So cliché is this line that many use it often in discourse. But many of us are guilty of prejudging others based on their outward appearances. We size people up and their physical attributes sometimes determine if they deserve our respect or not. If they dress well, smell good, have well-toned bodies  and generally exude overall wellbeing, we either get intimidated or try to associate with them. 

Big Brother Naija 5 is the rave of the moment, like it or not, it is going to dominate the media space for the next 9 weeks.  Twenty contestants were unveiled on Sunday and even before the show started proper many comments on social media was that of immediate disapproval of some contestants based on their physical attributes. 

Laycon and Trikytee were these contestants many wondered the yardstick which qualified them for the show. Why not tall, dark, handsome with hot bodies? What about them being fair or caramel skin toned? No, Laycon is not representative of the true Yoruba demon! Why does Trickytee look so rough? The comments were viler.

Well, days into the show, Laycon from his interactions with other housemates has shown tact, intelligence and oh, he is a brilliant rapper! I mean, he spits intelligent lines. He left many housemates in awe and a particular one Erica retorted ‘I really like Laycon. He sees things differently. He doesn’t look as deep as he thinks’. At another point she said, ‘I feel smart listening to you (Laycon) Need I bore you with more?

35 year old Trikytee is a creative artist, storyteller who uses art to express himself. He is also a self-taught architectural animator. After his session yesterday, others who hitherto looked down on him were blown away. 

Many of us surround ourselves with mediocre people who do not contribute to our self-development.  We wonder how this seeming physically attractive person is capable of such betrayal. On what basis did we choose them in the first place? It is never too late to stop drawing conclusions about a person based on mere physical attributes. This is one lesson Big Brother Naija 5 just taught many whether they acknowledge it or not. 

Written by Judith Irenoa 
@judithirenoa


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