- February 4th, 2025, 12:12 am
#472276
This topic is about the February 2025 Philosophy Book of the Month, They Love You Until You Start Thinking for Yourself by Monica Omorodion Swaida
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In her memoir, Monica Omorodion Swaida describes her personal "japa" experience.
This resonates with me a lot because I faced the same dilemma not long ago, although I ended up not doing "japa". When my country met with a severe financial crisis, I had the opportunity to go abroad and have a better life, doing my job as a healthcare professional. But it was my country that provided me with free education and helped me to reach my current status, and it felt quite unreasonable and unfair to leave my country when it needed my service the most (already a lot of health care workers had left by then, and the system was already in crisis). And also leaving meant neglecting my obligations to my parents as well.
But at the same time I thought, why should I suffer when I have the potential to grow myself and have a better life and get out of my country that was dragged towards financial crisis by the poor political management, which was not showing any progression in changing its foolish and corrupted practices? Finally I ended up staying, and luckily, now the situation is stable in my country.
When individuals (especially those in critical professions) consider emigrating with expectations of a better life, what moral responsibilities do they hold towards their home country?
Is seeking a better life elsewhere a betrayal of one's homeland?
In her memoir, Monica Omorodion Swaida describes her personal "japa" experience.
"Japa" is a Yoruba word that means "to run" or "to flee". It's used to describe the mass exodus of Nigerians to other countries, often in search of a better life. The term has become so common that it's known as the "Japa Syndrome".(Google)
This resonates with me a lot because I faced the same dilemma not long ago, although I ended up not doing "japa". When my country met with a severe financial crisis, I had the opportunity to go abroad and have a better life, doing my job as a healthcare professional. But it was my country that provided me with free education and helped me to reach my current status, and it felt quite unreasonable and unfair to leave my country when it needed my service the most (already a lot of health care workers had left by then, and the system was already in crisis). And also leaving meant neglecting my obligations to my parents as well.
But at the same time I thought, why should I suffer when I have the potential to grow myself and have a better life and get out of my country that was dragged towards financial crisis by the poor political management, which was not showing any progression in changing its foolish and corrupted practices? Finally I ended up staying, and luckily, now the situation is stable in my country.
When individuals (especially those in critical professions) consider emigrating with expectations of a better life, what moral responsibilities do they hold towards their home country?
Is seeking a better life elsewhere a betrayal of one's homeland?
“There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers”
– William James
– William James
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