EDITORIAL: The Burden of the Ayekooto — Why Humanity Despises the Bitter Truth

 By David Alani Ige | Publisher, Ayekooto Media

  

Truth. A simple five-letter word, so easy to spell, yet it remains the heaviest burden the human tongue can ever carry. Both the young and the old shy away from it. It is a word that the Almighty God loves unconditionally, yet humanity despises it with a passion. 

Truth is the ultimate double-edged sword; it is a word that can make or mar you. The holy books tell us that righteousness and truth exalt a nation, yet the heads of nations—the very leaders sworn to protect the people—are rarely bold enough to speak it. 

This brings us to the age-old questions that break the hearts of righteous men: 'Why does everybody hate the truth? Why is nobody willing to say it? Why is a truthful person always tagged as an enemy, a rebel, or a troublemaker?' In Yorubaland, we capture this tragic reality in a profound proverb: "Olóòótọ́ kì í lẹ́ni" (A truthful person has no friends). 

We watch in dismay as liars seem to live long, prosper, and walk the corridors of power, while the truth sends honest people to early graves. It is a tragic irony of the human condition: 'truth is a bitter medicine, but a lie is a sweet poison.'

The Philosophical Reality: Why the World Fights the Truth

To understand why the world fights the truth, we must look at history, philosophy, and the nature of the human mind. People do not hate the truth because they are inherently evil; they hate it because truth destroys their comfortable illusions.

The Illusion of the Cave: The ancient Greek philosopher Plato explained this perfectly through his 'Allegory of the Cave'. Imagine people chained inside a dark cave their whole lives, looking at shadows on a wall and believing those shadows are reality. If one person breaks free, sees the real world outside, and returns to tell the others the truth, they will not thank him. They will attack him, call him crazy, and even try to destroy him for disrupting their reality. Truth disrupts the comforting lies society feeds on.

The Socratic Early Grave: You ask why truth sends people to an early grave. Look at Socrates, the father of Western philosophy. He went around his city speaking the bitter truth and exposing the ignorance of the political elites. His reward? The government sentenced him to death by forcing him to drink poison. 

The Pain of the Liar:Psychologists tell us that when people build their lives, wealth, or politics on a lie, hearing the truth causes them actual mental pain. Because the lie is sweet and profitable, they will attack the truth-sayer to protect their peace of mind.

The Revolutionary Act:The great writer George Orwell once warned, "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." When a nation is built on corruption, simply stating the facts makes you a prime target of the system.

The Cross of the Ayekooto

Why do liars live long? Because the world system is designed by men, for men. Liars compromise. Liars bow to corrupt kings. Liars take the bribes, look the other way, and make powerful friends. 

  

But the truthful man stands alone. The 'Ayekooto' is the parrot that sees everything and says it exactly as it is, without fear or favor. Because the parrot refuses to change its tune to please the king, it is often caged. 

Men love the dark because their deeds are evil. The truth is a blinding light. When you shine it, you expose the filth in the room, and the people living in the filth will try to break the lamp.

Yet, despite the loneliness, despite the tags, and despite the danger, the truth must be told. A society built on sweet lies will eventually collapse under the weight of its own deceit. The liar may live long, but his legacy is ash. The truthful man may suffer, but his words become immortal.

Truth is the foundation of the universe. It is the only thing that outlives time. As the publisher of 'Ayekooto Media', this is our cross to bear. We are the Parrot. We must keep speaking, even when they refuse to listen.

           __About the Publisher:__

David Alani Ige is the Publisher of Ayekooto Media. Committed to delivering timely, accurate, and fearless journalism, Ayekooto Media remains a trusted digital source for breaking news, deep analysis, and comprehensive updates across Oyo State and beyond.

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