The Attitude Lounge with Kodwo Brumpon: Shooting for the brass

“The fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow.” – African proverb

There is a story from ancient China, told by the philosopher Zhuang Tzu, about an archer. When this archer shoots for fun, he is a master. His back is straight, his eye is true, and the arrow flies exactly where he wills it. He does not miss, because he is not trying to impress anyone.

He is simply shooting. But if you offer him a brass buckle as a prize? He grows nervous. His hand shakes and he misses the target. It is strange, but the moment he is offered a prize of gold, his sight becomes blurry and he sees two targets where there is only one. He is out of his mind. His skill has not changed. But the need to win the prize, the glory, the gold drains his power.

Now, take a look at our leaders. The men and women who stand up everyday telling us that they have what it takes to bring about the change we have been crying for. Watch them carefully. They have all the skills of the archer. They have degrees, and multiples of them. They have consultants and advisors.

They have the machinery of state. When they are shooting for *fun*—when they are campaigning, smiling, shaking hands, making promises under the sun—they are brilliant. They never miss. They promise roads, hospitals, jobs, schools. They promise to kill corruption and raise the flag.

But the moment they win, the moment the prize of gold, the seat comes into their hands, they go blind. Suddenly, they start seeing two targets. They start seeing the suffering citizen standing in the pothole and the contact that would bring in the riches. They see the child who needs a textbook and the cousin who needs a no-bid contract. They see two targets: the truth, and the stories that will keep them in power. So, when they release the arrow goes nowhere.

Have you noticed how shallow the policies become when they rise to the top? The language is grand. The font is bold. But nothing changes. The roads still swallow your car, and the hospitals still tell you that there are no beds. And the graduate still walks the street for three years with a certificate and no hope.

This attitude happens because the leader is no longer shooting. He is calculating. He is thinking, if I fix the road, will the opposition take credit when it is done and I am no longer in power? If I truly fight corruption, will my own godfather go to jail? That is the gold prize. That is the brass buckle. That is the need to win, not for the people, but for himself. And that need drains his power.

Interestingly, when you do not have power, you have something the leader has lost. You have nothing to win. You are the archer shooting for fun. You want your child to eat. You want the tap to run clean water. You want to walk home at night without fear. You have no gold prize. You have no brass buckle. You are simply trying to live. That is your power. That is your clarity. The leader is nervous because he cares about winning the next term. You are calm because you care about this moment. That makes you the true master.

So here is what we can all do. Let us remind our leaders that they have the skill. They passed the exams in the first place. They won the seat, but they are seeing two targets. Let them know they are thinking about gold more than the shot. And that is why they struggle to bring about the change and changes they first promised.

But when they forget the gold and shoot true, the gold often comes anyway. Not because they are chasing it, but because the people, seeing his clarity, surround him and say: This one is different. Let us protect him. Let us give him another term. Let us build a statue.

Our society is not poor because we lack resources. We are rich in gold, oil, cocoa, and human resources. We are poor because our leaders are archers who have gone blind. They see two targets. They are out of their minds. So, let us encourage them to start shooting for fun, and to shoot for the truth. Let us ask them to shoot for the child in the dark classroom, and the gold will fall where it may.

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