Dogma -- The One Thing I hope You Let Go This Year

If there is anything I hate, it is doing what others do, thinking like others, acting like others, being the representation of the norm. Don't get me wrong. Even if I'm in a place where everyone is doing fantastic, I'd still be fantastically different.

Being different is at the core of being human. Many of us just stick to the status quo, leaving behind our uniqueness.

Since the day I saw a Facebook post that said "Even those who don't give in to societal norms, still give in to other norms", my thirst for being undogmatic just became greater. After several months, I've found that post to be true. Humans, no matter how maverick, are susceptible to being dogmatic. I read this extensively in Malcolm Gladwell's book Tipping Point.

People and media form opinions they want you to believe are true and never changing. No doubt, you might believe some; but consult your brains, your instincts! Being dogmatic, I have known, leads to directionless living. You'd think you are progressing, but you are aimlessly drifting.



The best definition I have found for DOGMA so far is culled from Merriam Webster Dictionary: belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted.

There are billions of dogmas in the world today. You know the ones that apply to you. You know the ones your circle of friends have held to their heart. Debunk the myths and live with your own opinion of the universe.

The Universal Dogma

One of the dogmas people around me (and my industry) believe is that tech is the only next thing. Dogmas come in different shapes and sizes. LOL! Even these high grossing, highly intellectual folks still consume irrational opinions.

While I think tech has lots to offer in the subsequent years, we should know that tech has always been the next thing! It will always be. Tech started being the next thing since the days of Standard Oil, General Electric, Ford, Intel, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Uber. It will continue that way.

Innovation, particularly software, will continue to power the world. There is nothing scary about this. This shouldn't make you change career path from something you are passionate about to something you have no talents in.

Now, many want to learn coding which I don't think is entirely bad. In fact, it is a great development. The bad thing would be leaving your area of strength to learn how to code.

I'm seriously betting on finance as a great career path for anyone. It has always been a great path like tech. I could ask you the difference between World Bank and IMF and I'm sure most educated chaps have no clue. Have you sat down for a week watching the stock market? It's just as difficult to comprehend as software engineering. And there's a reason FinTech is now a sector on its own.



How about energy? Energy has continued to be a challenge. The USA emitted more carbon in 2018 than in 2017. 1 billion people still don't have access to electricity. Solar is still not very efficient and cheap.

Streamlined Entrepreneurial Thinking

Lemme tell you of another dogma. These days, everyone says being an entrepreneur is really about finding the solution to a problem. Yes, it is. But no, it's not entirely true. Being a successful entrepreneur or businessperson is about bringing an improvement to human life. It could be a giant leap or a slight increment.

The world didn't need a mobile tablet. Autonomous vehicles do not solve any problem. In fact, many of the innovations that will be coming in subsequent years won't solve any underlying problem. They'll only make the human race extremely modern and digitised.

Think about your present state. Or the world at large. Is there any fundamental problem that needs to be explored? There might be. But now, think about the world again. Are there things that can be improved from zero to one, one to hundred? Lots.

This is the way you should think. Stop searching for problems. Investigate how you can improve human life. Make it happen. And people will say you solved a problem.

I know many will argue this. Just give me a call or schedule a meet-up. I just love thinking different when everyone says or does the same.

Smart Work vs. Hard Work

Smartphones, smart watches, and smart cities have brought with them a new phrase: smart work.

The difference between where you are right now and where you want to be is effort. And effort is work. Whether it’s hard, soft, smart, or unsmart. Just do it!

Leave behind the societal buzzwords (I hope someone really checks what buzzword means). In fact, I could replace dogma with buzzwords or myths. I just think dogma is good enough. We get carried away in the thinking of others. We let the media and people who have never walked in our shoes dictate what we believe as right or wrong.

I feel this is the time you have to be opinionated. Even if it’s just for your own sake, think through. Don’t just sit there, scroll web pages, watch TV, and give in to generic thoughts and opinions.

If only one million people in Nigeria were like this, we wouldn’t be in this mess.

In a Wrap...

The world would be at a great loss if we all exert our focus on software development, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and IoT. We would all lose if we keep thinking the same.

These dogmas are corporate dogmas. There are street dogmas in our communities and institutions. The earlier you unplug yourself, the more directional you drive your thought. And your life!