The super curvy radio personality Tolu Oniru, popularly known as Toolz, is also a talk show host that is in great demand. She recently made a remark that has garnered a lot of commentary on social media. She said “Everyone needs to go through a bad heartbreak at least once. Once you realize it didn’t kill you, you unlock some next level of strength and clarity for your next relationship.” The internet and social media have given all of us great platforms to showcase our expertise and also our frailties. It has been said we should keep quiet and allow people to assume that we are intelligent than to open our mouth and say things to show and confirm our foolishness. The ongoing drama of the American presidential election has exposed the unreasonableness of many individuals who hitherto we thought were reasonable. We have come to see that religious, political, and educational standing is not a standard for appraising wisdom or common sense. We have seen televangelists come up with conspiracy theories about 5G network and COVID-19 that are mind-bending. We have seen individuals who have not stepped into the four walls of a church in years, call those who have never been found cheating on their wives or telling lies as the antichrist. Yes, this is where we presently find ourselves and the internet can be credited for creating overnight commentators with sizable followers, which is not a bad thing.

The internet has revolutionized our lives for good. From the ease of internet banking to the joy of communicating with loved ones via WhatsApp and other platforms, the internet will continue to affect our lives positively. But also create platforms that unqualified individuals can use to present their misconceptions to their followers. And these followers often unquestionably swallow all their prescriptions. The above postulation of Toolz reaffirms a notion that has gained a lot of traction over the years that opines the necessity of darkness for light to be relevant. Many people believe that poverty helps to make children serious-minded and well behaved. And that the children of the rich are often visionless. Spoiler alert! Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk are not from poor homes. Coming back to the Toolz remarks, it must be said that many successfully married couples have never experienced any heartbreak individually. It must also be said that heartbreaks often leave the heartbroken to be broken beyond remedy. Just as poverty starts a virtuous cycle that only a minority escape from.

We must be careful about the people we listen to and the advice we accept and incorporate into our lives. Many counselors on the internet have no business advising anyone. If their lives are x-rayed, you will find contradictions that highlight their hypocrisy. One piece of advice I have found to be very disturbing for a long time is when people say – don’t take life seriously. Some even irresponsibly add that serious people are in the asylum. This and other proverbs and anecdotes like “what’s gonna be gonna be, there is nothing you can do about it”, has derailed a lot of individuals. Such words give the impression that your input in life is secondary to a so-called destiny or fate. This is so untrue. Even in religious parlance, sin has a wage. Righteousness also has its destination. As another social media personality, I know would say, use your head-quarters. We must all run multiple filtrations before accepting the many unbaked hypotheses, philosophies, and strategies peddled across the internet.

Ata Ukuta, Editor – www.towncryyers.com