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"L'homme blanc est très intelligent. Il est venu tranquillement et paisiblement avec sa religion. Nous étions amusés par sa folie et nous lui avons permis de rester."

Chinua Achebe

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Simplified Meaning:

Sometimes people or groups can seem harmless and friendly when they arrive with new ideas or beliefs. In the beginning, these new ideas might even seem silly or unimportant. However, over time, these seemingly harmless ideas can have a big impact and change things in ways that no one expected. For example, think about a new neighbor moving into your community who comes with different customs and traditions. At first, everyone might find these customs amusing or strange. But as the neighbor spends more time and builds relationships with the locals, their customs and traditions start blending into the community. Gradually, they influence the way people in the community think and behave, possibly even changing the culture over time. The advice here is to be mindful of new influences, no matter how small or harmless they may appear at first. Understanding and evaluating them before they take root can help keep your own beliefs and culture intact.

Related tags
Colonialism Cultural assimilation Cultural impact Historical context Indigenous peoples Religion
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