We create our own problems. We sowed the seeds of what we’re harvesting today. We create mess for ourselves. And though we know that what we’re doing has terrible implications, we cannot stop the habit we’ve become accustomed to. It even seems fun destroying ourselves.

But how long can we keep doing this?

These days many schools are in competition in my country. Basic schools. High schools. Private schools. Public schools.

Each school wants to portray itself as the most successful. Healthy competition is good. It pushes people to go beyond their limits, be more, and become much better.

The problem arises when the means used to create a good reputation crosses the limits. I am talking about examination malpractices.

We have narrowed the definition of a good school to one whose students excel in their final year exams, irrespective of the means used to attain that goal. Students can sit in class and fool and not take their studies seriously. They know that the reputation of the school is at stake if they fail and teachers will go all lengths to ensure that they pass, even if it means paying an invigilator to sit and write an exam on behalf of a student.

But what we sow, we reap.

Without grooming and training disciplined, hardworking students of integrity, what kind of future are we carving for ourselves? What kind of doctors will be in our hospitals? Doctors who have paid bribes to pass their exams? Wouldn’t our health be in jeopardy?

If children from an early stage in life do not cultivate habits of studying hard, being curious to search for knowledge and solve problems, as they grow and find themselves in the university, what good can come out of them? No wonder so many students are expelled every year from the universities for examination malpractices.

It pays to sit on one’s bum bum and learn hard for oneself. The hard way pays. A lot.

Another sowing we’ve been doing that will soon ruin us is the paying of bribes to get jobs and positions. I have the impression that with money, one can sit in one’s room and without stepping a foot in a classroom, acquire certificates, jobs and even buy business.

This has nothing to do with online tuition. It has everything to do with sleeping on the couch, sipping beer, watching TV or scamming and paying for things one does not want to work hard to acquire.

But wouldn’t it be a shame to have money open a door for you and you can’t take advantage of the open opportunity simply because you haven’t taken the time to prepare for it?

Imagine how a C. E. O who can’t speak good English and knows nothing about his job will embarrass himself in front of employees.

Money isn’t everything. However, you can use money to pay for good training and acquire useful skills to be useful to yourself and your environment.

Imagine if we all decided to pay bribes to put our lazy relatives into the army. Imagine war broke out with a neighboring state. What can those lazy cowards of ours do for us? Wouldn’t we be harming ourselves in the end?

Look at the number of people with passion to be in the police force, to be nurses, lawyers and engineers, all seated at home jobless simply because those with money have bought up all the vacancies in these places.

Most of those with the jobs have no passion for what they do and it shows in the quality of the customer service we receive.

We harm ourselves. We create mess for ourselves. We are our own enemies.

But we can rise. We can change. We can change things around us. If we can create problems, we also have the ability to solve them no matter how complicated and sophisticated they have become.