Analysis
Opinion
The Loop We Feed: On Performative Grievance and Collective Stalling
The writer traces how public discourse in Cameroon has become trapped in performative critique—where sounding superior matters more than addressing the actual concern. Beneath the posture of discernment lies unspoken desire, unmet need, and the comfort of blame; breaking this loop requires naming a shared mission and moving forward, even without resolving old grievances.
Numbers Don't Lie. People Do.
An analytical reflection on the gap between quantifiable data and human interpretation. The writer examines how numbers function as neutral records while the meaning we extract from them reveals more about us than about the data itself.
Easier Said Than Done: Excuse or Wake-Up Call
The writer examines the familiar phrase 'easier said than done' and argues that it need not be a shield from responsibility. Instead, it can function as a realistic warning that prompts better preparation and intentional action rather than passive acceptance of difficulty.
The Devil's Errors: Vigilance in Times of Comfort
A meditation on hidden problems—those that masquerade as stability and success until they strike. The writer argues that true problem-solving requires not just addressing obvious obstacles, but maintaining active awareness during moments of apparent safety, comfort, and achievement.
Value Talk: What Can You Offer?
The writer argues that social mobility and success depend not on proximity to influential people, but on the deliberate cultivation of one's own value, skills, and habits. Meetings with the powerful yield nothing without preparation; opportunity favors those who have already done the work.
The Wall of Bad Ideas
A practical meditation on the patterns of thought and behaviour that reliably lead nowhere—from get-rich-quick schemes to victim mentality to religious fanaticism. The writer proposes an internal wall of cautionary reminders, drawn from lived experience, to steady decision-making when the mind is busy or reactive.
The Crown and the Mirror: On Selective Outrage and Our Own Accountability
In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death and the succession of King Charles III, the writer examines the surge of anti-colonial sentiment on social media, asking whether the anger directed at the British Empire reflects genuine reckoning or performative militancy. The piece pivots to a sharper question: whether Africans, and Cameroonians in particular, are willing to direct the same scrutiny toward their own governments.
Seventeen Expressions Holding Cameroon Back
The writer argues that common Cameroonian colloquialisms—phrases like 'Le Cameroun c'est le Cameroun' and 'How man go do?'—encode defeatism and self-deception, functioning as linguistic sedatives that keep citizens mentally complicit in the status quo. By examining these expressions, the piece challenges Cameroonians to recognize how language perpetuates learned helplessness and voluntary servitude.
The Lies We Tell Ourselves: Thirteen Expressions That Confine Cameroon
The writer catalogs thirteen colloquial expressions—drawn from French, English, and Pidgin—that Cameroonians use to rationalize passivity, injustice, and systemic dysfunction. Each phrase, presented with examples of where it is heard, reveals a deeper culture of learned helplessness and self-imposed mental servitude.
Talent Is the Beginning, Not the Destination
The writer reflects on natural aptitude for writing and argues that while talent matters, it is discipline, focus, and sustained practice that ultimately separate those who succeed from those who do not. Drawing on examples from sports and music, the piece contends that the competitive landscape—especially in creative fields—demands not just skill but business acumen, self-marketing, and relentless commitment.
On the True Value of a Music Award
The writer questions whether the Canal 2'OR, Cameroon's most prestigious music award, holds any real power to shape an artist's career or the industry's trajectory. The piece argues that award ceremonies derive their worth not from their own institutions but from the intrinsic quality and professionalism of the entire creative ecosystem that surrounds them.
Sinners Judging Other Sinners: On Celebrity, Narrative Control, and Moral Deflection
The writer examines the public debate around a leaked intimate recording involving a prominent celebrity, arguing that the discourse around 'controlling the narrative' and celebrating survival masks a deeper erosion of moral standards and a selective attention economy that ignores systemic suffering.
The Real Debate: Beyond the Tape
A critical reflection on the tendency to frame a celebrity sex tape scandal as an empowerment narrative, while ignoring the structural silence around concurrent crises of violence and displacement in Cameroon.
On Sustainable Giving: Why the Young Should Build Before They Give Back
The writer argues that young Cameroonians often mistake launching an NGO or foundation for genuine social impact, when financial instability undermines both the giver and the work. Real philanthropy, he contends, must be bootstrapped from personal or business success—not launched from precarity as a substitute for employment.
On Uncomfortable Conversations and the Politics of Division
The writer argues that fear of social censure prevents honest dialogue on sensitive topics, and that movements like cancel culture, feminism, and LGBTQ+ advocacy have been co-opted by powerful interests to keep ordinary people divided and distracted. The piece critiques what it sees as the weaponization of social justice language to enforce conformity rather than foster genuine freedom.
Seventeen Expressions That Confine the Cameroon Mind
Poise examines seventeen colloquial expressions in Cameroon—spanning French, English, and Pidgin—that encode resignation, defeatism, and acceptance of injustice. The piece argues that these phrases normalize mental servitude and perpetuate systemic dysfunction by legitimizing corruption, nepotism, and the status quo.
Changing the Game in Africa: On Development, Sovereignty, and Cultural Inheritance
The writer challenges Africa's imitation of Western development models—from currency arrangements to architectural mimicry—and argues that the continent's true leverage lies not in replicating others' systems but in centering its own people and culture as the foundation for self-determined progress.
Hala Your Own Matter: On African Hypocrisy and Black Lives
The writer questions the selectivity of African outrage over police violence in America while overlooking systemic violence, discrimination, and institutional neglect of Black lives within Africa itself. Drawing on a Chinua Achebe anecdote, the piece argues that Africans have lost the ability to distinguish between others' serious problems and their own, and that this represents a kind of colonial-minded abdication of responsibility.
Wake Up: On African Complicity and the New Colonialism
Writing from Kondengui Prison, the author argues that Africans are voluntarily returning to economic and political dependence on foreign powers through migration and asset sales, recreating the conditions of colonialism without resistance. He contends that Africa's vast resources and human capital are being systematically extracted by both foreign interests and complicit local leadership, and that liberation requires Africans to remain, build, and reclaim sovereignty from within.
Accountability and the Cost of Ambition
The writer reflects on Kobe Bryant's death and what stood out most about his character: a refusal to accept hollow commitments or vague aspirations without evidence of understanding the actual work required. Drawing from this, the writer examines his own practice of turning down collaborations and pushing back on those around him who underestimate the effort needed to realize their goals.
The Price of Public Speech: On Talent, Communication, and Accountability
A reflection on the young Cameroonian musician Fhish's struggle with public communication despite evident talent. The writer argues that his tendency toward unguarded remarks—most recently mocking those mourning Kobe Bryant—reveals a dangerous gap between artistry and the discipline required of public figures.
Must We All Be Feminists?
The writer reflects on the discomfort of watching a provocative article spark predictable ideological reactions, and uses this moment to question whether contemporary feminism's critique of "toxic masculinity" has lost nuance. The piece argues that masculine traits need not be pathologized, and that feminist praxis in a Cameroonian context requires deeper understanding before prescribing how men should be.
On Reading with Open Mind: The Writer's Motive and the Reader's Responsibility
The writer reflects on publishing an article that sparked unexpected criticism, using it as a moment to articulate how readers should approach texts: by understanding authorial intent, evaluating content on its own terms rather than against expectations, and recognizing that writers often adopt different voices to explore ideas.
Twelve Ways Men Have Become Soft: A Polemic on Masculine Decline
The writer catalogs perceived failures of modern masculinity—quitting easily, sensitivity to criticism, emotional expression, grooming habits, and embrace of traditionally female roles—framing them as signs of civilizational weakness. The piece is a broadside against what it calls the feminization of men, arguing that women themselves reject these changes and yearn for traditional strength.
Missed Opportunities: Rethinking Talent and Career in Sports and Entertainment
The piece argues that young Cameroonian talent in sports and entertainment pursue narrow, consumer-driven paths—chasing celebrity status—while overlooking more stable, specialized, and entrepreneurially viable niches. Using Mel Dibson's modest but strategic fitness coaching partnership as an anchor, the writer maps alternative career structures in music production, songwriting, visual effects, and sports that offer real economic value without requiring mass fame.
Missed Opportunities and Strategies in the Sports and Entertainment Business
The writer argues that young Cameroonians pursuing careers in entertainment and sports often fixate on celebrity and mass visibility rather than exploring specialized, underserved niches within their industries. Using Mel Dibson—a fitness coach with modest social media reach but strategic commercial appeal—as a counter-example, the piece maps overlooked pathways in music, dance, visual effects, and sports where disciplined, differentiated expertise can sustain a career.
Speaking Up: Beyond the Myth of Suffering in Silence
This essay challenges the cultural valorization of silence and emotional restraint, arguing that suppressing pain and grievance damages mental health and perpetuates cycles of abuse. The writer proposes a measured alternative: thoughtful disclosure, honest self-reflection, and compassionate listening as tools for personal and collective healing.
The Mboko Gang and the Erosion of Critical Thought
The writer examines a social-media phenomenon in Cameroon's hip-hop culture—the 'Mboko Gang,' devoted followers of rapper Jovi—as a case study in herd mentality, uncritical belief, and the absence of genuine conviction. Drawing comparisons to zealotry and blind devotion, the piece argues that many gang members lack independent reasoning and mistake repetition and noise for truth.
The Butterfly Effect: One Man's Despair and the Ripple Outward
This piece traces a single December morning in 2010 when a young street vendor in a Tunisian town suffered a humiliating encounter with police, leading him to an act of self-immolation that would ignite a regional uprising. The writer reconstructs the invisible chain of circumstance—poverty, corruption, familial duty, a confiscated scale—that converged in one moment of surrender to rage.
On Hype and the Inflation of Praise
The writer examines how social media has inverted the relationship between achievement and recognition, turning insincere flattery into currency and inflating premature claims—calling unreleased songs 'classics' or untested films 'blockbusters.' The piece argues that this erosion of discernment undermines genuine growth and asks for more honest, constructive feedback.
The Generalist Advantage: Why Being a Jack of All Trades Matters Now
The writer challenges the dismissive reading of 'jack of all trades, master of none,' arguing that generalism—the ability to synthesize knowledge across multiple disciplines—is precisely what complex problem-solving demands. Drawing on examples like Charlie Munger and reflecting on their own experience, they contend that in the knowledge economy, versatility is not a weakness but a strategic asset.
The Generalist's Advantage: On Mastering Many Things
The writer defends the path of the generalist against the persistent cultural advice to specialize in one domain. Drawing on the full original quote—
Eleven Expressions Holding Cameroon Back
The writer examines eleven colloquial expressions endemic to Cameroonian speech—from 'Le Cameroun c'est le Cameroun' to 'Tu crois que tu souffre plus que qui?'—arguing that these phrases crystallize a culture of learned helplessness, defeatism, and resigned acceptance of dysfunction. Each expression, the writer contends, normalizes injustice and discourages the truth-telling and collective action necessary for change.
The Candy Standard: On the Collapse of Intellectual Rigor in Media
The writer reflects on a local reference (Nyangono Du Sud) as a symptom of a broader cultural shift: the normalization of intellectual decline in media. Drawing on Seth Godin's essay on the economics of dumbed-down content, the piece warns against mistaking entertainment for substance and traces how algorithms have accelerated the race to the bottom.
Creativity as a Life Practice: On Permission and Persistence
The writer argues that creativity—the capacity to make something distinctly one's own—is essential to living a meaningful life, and that most people have had this capacity suppressed by convention. Drawing on Hugh MacLeod's *Ignore Everybody*, the piece offers thirty principles for rekindling and sustaining creative work, emphasizing solitude, patience, and the willingness to accept pain.
What Will Happen in 2035? On Emergence Without Foundation
A five-year returnee reflects on Cameroon's
Have Our Billionaires Betrayed Us?
The writer questions whether Cameroon's wealthy elite have abdicated their moral and social responsibility to mentor and inspire the next generation. Beyond accumulating private fortunes, the piece argues, billionaires possess a form of generational wealth—knowledge, reputation, social currency—that should be shared publicly to guide aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders.
On Speaking Truth and the Cost of Silence: A Meditation on Accountability and Courage
The writer defends the right of public figures to speak controversial opinions, even when wrong, arguing that bullying artists into silence betrays the very communities that depend on their willingness to take risks. Using Kanye West as a case study, the piece examines how moral purity and emotional reaction can obscure substantive engagement with systemic problems.
African Cowardice: On Choice, Complicity, and the Structures That Bind Us
The writer argues that African passivity in the face of historical and contemporary exploitation—from the slave trade through NATO intervention in Libya—reflects collective cowardice rather than absence of choice. Drawing on the Kanye West controversy, the piece contends that Africans have repeatedly chosen servitude over the sacrifices freedom demands.
Most Big Progress Can Only Be Done By You, the Youth
The writer argues that Cameroon's economic stagnation stems from a consumer-dependent economy and an educational system that trains job-seekers rather than innovators and producers. Positive change, the piece contends, requires the youth to reject imported dependence, build local industry, and overcome the psychological barriers—inferiority complex, lack of institutional support, and misaligned taxation—that strangle homegrown enterprise.
Six Expressions Holding Cameroon Back
The writer identifies six colloquial Cameroonian phrases—from
Categorical Bias on the Clock: How I Am Voting for BDMA
The writer navigates the BDMA awards, openly acknowledging the tension between aspiring objectivity and the human tendency toward bias. Category by category, they justify their votes with candor about what they know, don't know, and whom they favour—and why.
The Stories We Tell Ourselves: On Narrative, Recognition, and Cameroon's Future
The writer argues that societies are shaped not by events themselves but by the stories they choose to narrate and preserve. Cameroon, the piece suggests, risks becoming defined by narratives of corruption and failure because it has failed to systematically tell the stories of its own local heroes—doctors, teachers, engineers, honest officials, and builders.
Africa in Delusion: A Reckoning with Complacency
The writer challenges what he calls the self-deceptive pride many Africans express about the continent and its culture, arguing that genuine love requires honest critique and action toward improvement, not selective nostalgia or blame-shifting to external forces. He contends that African cultural practices—tribalism, deference to elders, linguistic nationalism—have calcified into systemic dysfunction, and that the continent's material decline reflects internal choices, not inevitable circumstance.