We often hear people say, "Think outside the box." But what does that really mean when you're still stuck inside the box? That's the real challenge. Most people aren't even aware they're in a box. They follow routine thinking, bound by systems and structures. But the real shift happens when you start questioning from within. If you can do that, you're already ahead.
One of the reasons the cycle of poverty continues in many countries is this inability to think differently. People just follow the motions—governments keep asking for aid, and development partners keep giving. But rarely do we stop and ask: Is this really helping the country? Often, the aid benefits a small group in the government. And the donor agencies? They benefit too—in their own way. So it's a win-win—for both sides. But what about the country itself? That's where the system fails.
Yes, historically the West colonized the East. White powers colonized Black and Brown people. And yes, they developed while many in the Global South didn't. That's true. But what now? What can we do about it today?
We cannot keep clinging to a victim mindset. Saying "we were colonized," "we were oppressed," or "we were discriminated against" doesn't change the fact that we let it happen. The right response now is not to keep mourning that history but to outsmart it. To resist being dominated—not through violence, but through building strength, unity, and strategy.
Imagine this. There's a big, muscled man in the middle of the road. And you're a small, frail person standing in front of him. Every day, he beats you up. Alone, you can't fight him. But you're not alone—there are many like you. If you unite, you can outnumber him. That's where your power lies.
But then someone might say: "That big man doesn't let us unite. He interferes whenever we try to organize or build capacity." Yes, that's part of the struggle. But that's not his strength—that's your weakness. How did you allow him to reach that deep into your affairs?
Look at Africa. Colonizers deliberately drew borders to divide people—borders that made no sense in terms of culture or community. They created chaos that lasts to this day. Why? Because they could. They were the strongest at the time. That was the rule of the jungle. They made the rules. You may say it was unjust—and it was—but no one is coming to fix it now.
As Nietzsche said, "God is dead." There's no divine figure coming to set things right, to punish the colonizers and reward the colonized. The only person who can fix this is you. If you're strong, you'll find a way. If you're weak, you'll be stopped. But history has shown again and again—one person can change the world. People's power is unlimited.
And here's another hard truth: If you cannot develop your country the way the West did—if you cannot create wealth, fix your problems, unite, mine your resources, or secure your prosperity—then maybe it's time to stop looking at the West as the ideal. Maybe there's another way to define your own standards of living. Maybe you don't need the kind of development the West has done to live a happy, meaningful life.
You can be 100% free and content with very little income. You can live a fulfilling life on $10 a day—and still be miserable on $1,000 a day. So if you cannot change global systems or make them fair, maybe the more powerful act is to reorganize your own thinking. Find happiness in what is socially, culturally, and economically suitable to you—not in someone else's model of success.
In short, stop waiting. Stop feeding on the narrative of injustice. Recognize it, yes—but don't live in it. Act. Fight back in smart ways. Build what you can. Redefine success. That's the real way forward.
