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The struggle with many a rigid Logooli cultural practices

  The Logooli community is one of the deeply cultured societies – with near everything supposed to have been done as per custom – to allow another custom to follow. One example is that for a mature man (with a child or more) to be buried, there must be a house structure at home. Another is that a boy must be circumcised and nursed in father land. If maternal family decides to, the boy will have a hard time reconnecting with father people - a dent on his masculinity. There were two children who got burnt to death in a house in Nairobi. The single mother had left for night work. Elders were told that one of the children was Logooli. The other, the woman had sired with someone else. The Logooli family wanted to burry their little one and long discussed the do’s and don’ts. Of a man who died childless and the grave was placed as if he had died as a man with children. It should have been dug on the sides, the grave. A real thorn should have been thrust in his buttocks, his name go...
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Confessions of a Sociopath; A consciously deviant mind.

M.E Thomas’ book, Confessions of a sociopath exposes readers to a world of a consciously deviant mind. It was a good read. I got interested in the book after reading Faith by Peter James and Intensity by Dean Koontz. Ross and Vess, the consecutive characters intrigue. I am curious to know why people act the way they crazilly do.

However, I will not have to do paragraphs to come to my one-sentence premise that ‘the book is but a woman’s wailing.’ It should not be taken seriously as Boston Globe writes at the blurb. I call it a woman’s thing not because I am a chauvinist but because a man would not find words worth 302 pages all talking about ‘I and how I think I ruin(ed) people.’ This will also apply as a woman characteristic if the writer hides in a woman’s mask.

Early in the book, like any other reader I have had this problem of identifying with the character. I have seen myself through her eyes and even thought of self as a sociopath- and some of my friends too. But facts could not add up to satisfy my curiosity. I am empathetic and wish everyone the best- though accompanied with jealousy sometimes. I have been a strict boy taking responsibilities as a prefect and student leader in campus. Some of my friends think I am tough. Like Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart, I am weak inside. I am an over thinker to my irrational acts, adore solitude and greatly volunteer. This does not mean I have no crazy thoughts.

The writer in my view has circularly capitalized on her deviant ways to bring about the book and that is why her life can be summed up in the few pages. She has openly failed to recognize her downfalls- in humanity and personality. Once she said she fell sick and it really dehumanized her. She was not humble and fearful as a sick person should be. The book elevates her that you would think she suffered from a cold.

We are all endowed with good and bad qualities. The qualities we are likely to explore will in the end define us. For us to have an ideal society, everyone should aim to be good. This will see some struggle with excuses as sociopath and psychopath. To celebrate a deviant, as Thomas does is to be contended with a weakness simply because it is ‘fruitful'. A youth thinks this way.

If I knew that my friend is a sociopath, I will set clear boundaries and be very conscious with his activities. People can only be innocently devoured if they lack the inner instinct that some people are not what they pretend to be. In our interactions however my purpose will be to gather more information about the deviance so as to know how risky the environment of the person is. A child of this case will have to undergo a rough childhood incase it doesn't hide its fangs till mature. I am a social worker.

It is good you are a lawyer hence an awesome opportunity to merge your identity. If a friend comes into my life and all I can do is to find means of how to exploit that person, what the hell am I? If you purpose bad in your heart, bad will come to you. You may have enjoyed your life so far (half) doing to others what you know they don’t like. What if the next of the years it comes to you ten-fold (It does not take religion to know that to every action there is a reaction)? I would feel sorry for you. Let us stop thinking that we can dictate ourselves- find pleasure in exploiting other things; not humans.


I am not against the hope that the future may see people like Thomas stand before us and mock our souls. Politicians and business people have long worn that mask. Homo sexuality is encroaching Africa and a ‘moral’ world is growing into a non-accommodating society. People are exploiting others on their way up the social ladder. Things are (have) changing. I am also thinking of how I will escape my quarter-life crisis and sociopathy may be an advantage. If so I can employ the tactics and achieve, why should I be a church mouse come middle life? Sociopath, like other contradictory traits, I believe, is a result of nurture.

picture source: ravepad.com

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