By Goke Ilesanmi
Nobody likes to be insulted. One of the most insulting expressions people hate is “You are an animal”. But it is ironic that we still embrace this “insult” in other contexts. Let me explain before you ask me to clarify. Aristotle first propounded the Theory of Syllogism or types of logic. Logic as a form of reasoning is divided into Deductive and Inductive Reasoning. Inductive Reasoning is about arriving at a general conclusion from specific instances, e.g. “The first copy of “The Nation” newspaper is white and green. The second copy of “The Nation” newspaper is white and green. The third copy of “The Nation” newspaper is white and green. Therefore, all copies of “The Nation” newspaper are white and green.”
Deductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning, which is our major focus here, is about arriving at a specific conclusion from a general statement, e.g, “All birds are animals. Eagles are birds. Therefore, eagles are animals.” Another example is: “All cats are animals. Lions are from the cat family. Therefore, lions are animals.” It is ironic that we hate being called an animal, yet we affirm our uniqueness or success with animal metaphor by saying, “I am a lion”, “I am an eagle”, etc. Even at the national level, we have “Super Eagles of Nigeria”; “Indomitable Lions of Cameroon”, etc.
We identify with these animals because they have special attributes that most human beings lack. It is not only successful people that have many “relations” and admirers. Successful animals too have human admirers because they (the animals) dare to do what we cannot. Have you ever watched animal documentaries, especially those of lions and eagles? If you watch them, you will see that lions and eagles for instance, are professors of excellence and action that we human beings need to learn from to be able to succeed.
Eagles and lions
Eagles are completely special creatures. The eagle is one of most powerful birds in the world. At a close range, eagles are fierce, confident and courageous hunters. Eagles are a symbol of freedom and power. With boldness and courage, eagles attack larger animals. The eagle is an aero-dynamic marvel, a perfect flying machine that is able to maintain flight for a lengthy period of time without getting tired. It can remain completely motionless except for an occasional flip of the wing tips to counter wind currents.
Dr. Bill Newman, an author and international Australian speaker says, “Your imagination is one of your greatest gifts and you need to cherish it. Creative imagination is that part of the mind which generates desires, thoughts, hopes and dreams… Eagles have two sets of eyelids to protect their extremely keen sight. One set is used while the bird is stationary or on the earth, but the instant the eagle is airborne a second set of eyelids…drop over the powerful eyes. This is not only to protect the bird from the onrushing air…but also against trees, bushes and even the prey itself.”
Addition
Despite the fact that the eagle has no immunity against venom, it will present its breast as a target for the snake and once the snake has struck and missed, the eagle will attack with lightning speed, seizing the snake in its razor talons. In short, the unique characteristics that distinguish eagles are speed, agility, strength, power, majesty, boldness, dependability, courage, tenderness, faithfulness, pride, ferocity and great daring. Fight on to achieve your dreams and goals. It is always too soon to quit. Eagles achieve success by working smarter, nor harder. That is, they use minimum energy with precision to achieve tremendous results. Just like the eagle, a lion is known for its agility, strength, ferocity, etc.
Dissociation from weak animals
Despite the fact that we associate with animals, we only identify with active ones. The vulture and the eagle look alike, yet we dissociate ourselves from the vulture because we see it as a fauna symbol of mediocrity. Unlike the eagle, the vulture is not proactive. Vultures always look for dead animals everywhere, because they are not ready to confront life animals. Metaphorically, many people are vultures. They fail to make headway because they refuse to tackle obstacles. William Menninger says, “The amount of satisfaction you get from life depends largely on your own ingenuity, self-sufficiency, and resourcefulness….”
In the same vein, George Adams asserts, “In this life we only get those things for which we hunt, for which we strive and for which we are willing to sacrifice.” According to B.C. Forbes, “Mediocre men wait for opportunities to come to them. Strong, able, alert men go after opportunities.”
Note that the grammatical or structural difference between the words “Giant” and “Ant” is the first syllable “Gi”. Why can’t you go after opportunities around you or add the missing first syllable “Gi” to your “Ant” nickname and be called a “Giant”?
Circus elephant and prairie chicken
Do not be like an elephant waiting outside a tent at the circus, which stands there restrained only by a rope tied to a stake. You will wonder why the elephant cannot just pull out the stake and escape. Its (in)action is due to fear. At the circus, when an elephant is young, the stake will be used to hold it. It will naturally try hard without success to wrench itself free. Its legs may even get cut in the process and it will resign to fate. It will then continue to live with the belief that it is impossible for it to free itself from the stake.
There is also a story of an eagle’s egg that fell off the nest into a prairie chicken’s nest. The egg was later hatched with other chicken eggs. The eaglet started pecking around with chicks believing it was one of them. It later discovered itself through adversity. A man was killing other chicks. When it was its turn to be killed, it just made a little effort and flew. The eaglet was surprised that it had that kind of ability. It continued flying and flying away from the remaining chicks. You too need to discover your strength today.
Parting words
Just like the eagles and lions, it is time for you to be daring and confident. Catch those thermal currents to lift you up to where you truly belong. Discover the big picture of your life and go for remarkable success. Take action like eagles and lions NOW.
GOKE ILESANMI, Editor-in-Chief/CEO of www.gokeilesanmi.com.ng and Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is a Certified Public Speaker/Emcee, (Business) Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker, Career Management Coach, Renowned Book Reviewer, Corporate Leadership Expert and Editorial Consultant.
Tel: +234(0)8056030424; +234(0)8187499425
Email: info@gokeilesanmi.com.ng; gokeiles2010@gmail.com