I think it’s fascinating how random things that happen can be judged based on their size and magnitude. This is simply because when it’s little, or in its minute form, we don’t attach much value to it, and as a result, we don’t really fear what could come of it. However, when the script flips and the value becomes way bigger, we start looking at it another way, and things that could have been considered inconsequential suddenly become very consequential.
This is something that many of us are familiar with: how quickly the stories can change simply because of ‘circumstances’. While it’s still basically the same act, the magnitude of said act is what determines our reactions and also how the rest of the event plays out for us. This is something that still baffles me to this day.
If you were walking down the street and found a hundred naira note (or the lowest denomination of your country’s currency), you simply found the money out on the street, and no one seems to care. Two things would happen: you’d either pick it up or you’d ignore it. But whatever your choice ends up being, you won’t think about it much. If you pick the money up, the moment you spend it, it’ll be gone from your mind, and you won’t even think of the random N100 note that you picked up.
Now, if you choose to ignore the money, it won’t be any different. As a matter of fact, you’d probably forget all about it even before you get home. Because that money is too little to take up your time. I’m sure that there are things that are supposed to be done when you see it, but you don’t think much of it because you know that no one is going to miss a N100 note. So, you simply forget it and move on.
But then, imagine that walking down the same street, you see a big bag of hard currency! Lots of money filling up the bag as it sits in the middle of the street. Just right there. At first glance, you can deduce that the money easily runs into millions, it’s mouthwatering, and it’s an amount that could change your life.
And just like before, two things would happen; you either take the money or you don’t. But in this case, whatever your choice ends up being, you’d never forget it for the rest of your life! You’d always second-guess the choice and consider how things could have been if you did it differently. If you take the money, you’d know no peace. You’d be looking over your shoulders until you get home. Every knock on your door will be suspicious because you’d think the police are there for you, or the real owners of the money are there for it, or even robbers have come for it. You’d know no peace. You know that you should have reported your findings to the cops, but you don’t do that. Greed has you risking it all for the money.
And then, if you do not take the money, if you even take it a step further and call the police, you’d always remember that moment when you had millions in your hands. Your upbringing might not let you take what isn’t yours, but it won’t stop you from thinking about what could have been. You think about what the money could have done for you and the things it would have changed. But then, you console yourself because you know you did the right thing.
And that’s what I’m talking about. Why is the reaction to finding a N100 note different from finding millions? Is it because of the possible impact of the higher sum? The answer is most likely yes, but that shouldn’t be the case. What happens when a N100 is found should be the same thing as what happens when a million naira cash is found in a bag. Taking either should be punishable, and we should be willing to report both to the police.
But sadly, that’s how it is. The bigger will always have priority over the smaller, no matter what. The strong will always overpower the weak. That’s the way of the world, and nothing so far has changed it. I don’t think anything can at this point. That’s why we even ignore the little deductions bank makes from our money when they deduct kobos and cents. But the minute they start taking hundreds and thousands… heads begin to roll.
Well, it is what it is. That’s life for you.
Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, I would love to know what you’re thinking. Till we meet in the next post.
N.B: All images used in this post are mine. The thumbnail was designed using Canva.
Posted Using INLEO