Page 99 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 23

Art & culture

is no wonder that the artists

are always susceptible to

harassment and persecution
by any tyrant and dictator in
the world. The artist exposes

their propaganda and create

alternative realities. But
we need this people if our
society is to develop and

uplift itself.

Most systems require
conformists and collective

followers. This is

accomplished in our modern
world as most people dread
isolation. People want to

be a part of something and
will deny their belief to gain

acceptance of the populace.
They fear thinking, which is

the fundamental element of
our species. Blaise Pascal in

his book ‘Human Happiness’ rebel, and it is the rebel who becomes the savior of humanity.
argues, “I can certainly Rollo May argues, “Recall how often in human history the

imagine a man without saint and the rebel have been the same person. Socrates was

hands, feet … But I cannot a rebel, and he was sentenced to drink hemlock. Jesus was
imagine a man without a rebel, and he was crucified for it.” But the fear of death is
thought; he would be a stone minor in the visionary and creative. Death is a fact of life and

or an animal.” Truly, to fear of it should not keep us from living a worth life. In the
abandon individuality is to process of creation, the artist transcends and triumphs over

abandon the human element. death. As the poet Dylan Thomas puts it:

As a final thought I contend “Do not go gentle into that good night,
that the creative is also the Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

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