The Naked Chase

By Chris Nehikhare

There are moments in public life when silence is not cowardice. It is wisdom.

Over the past few days, I have watched a spirited debate rage over comparisons that, in my humble opinion, ought never to have been made in the first place. I have resisted the temptation to join the fray, not because I have no opinion, but because experience has taught me that not every argument deserves your voice.

Permit me to tell a story.

In a small village lived a man whom everyone respected. He was the embodiment of good judgement. The elders sought his counsel. The young admired his composure. For the sake of this story, let us simply call him SenseMan.

One particularly hot afternoon, he decided to take a bath in the outdoor bathroom behind his house. As was customary, he removed his clothes, folded them neatly and placed them, together with his towel, on the fence surrounding the bathroom.

The cool water was refreshing. For a few moments, the heat of the day disappeared.

Then something happened.

The village madman, notorious for roaming the community completely naked, wandered past. Mischievous as ever, he picked up SenseMan’s clothes and towel and took off at full speed.

SenseMan looked up, saw what had happened and was consumed by anger.

Without stopping to think, he burst out of the bathroom exactly as he was and gave chase.

Through footpaths.

Across compounds.

Past the market square.

One naked man chasing another naked man.

The villagers rushed out of their homes at the commotion.

Those who had witnessed the theft understood exactly what was happening. But most had not.

All they saw were two naked men running through the village.

To them, there was no obvious difference between the respected elder and the village lunatic. The distinction disappeared the moment SenseMan abandoned wisdom for impulse.

That, perhaps, is one of life’s greatest lessons.

A fool can insult you.

A fool can provoke you.

A fool can bait you into a fight.

But the moment you respond without wisdom, you risk surrendering the very thing that made people respect you in the first place.

There is an African proverb that warns us not to wrestle with a pig because both of you become dirty, but only the pig enjoys it. I would add another: never chase a naked man while you are naked yourself. The spectators may never know who started the madness. History is often written by those who arrived late.

Which brings me to the current debate comparing a flyover with the Eiffel Tower.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Everyone is free to disagree. But some comparisons are so self-defeating that arguing endlessly against them only elevates them. Sometimes, the wiser course is to smile, shake your head and move on.

Not because you cannot answer.

But because wisdom knows that every chase comes at a price.

And if you are not careful, by the time the crowd gathers, they may no longer remember who stole the clothes.

They will only remember that two naked men were running through the village.