By Olubunmi Adebayo
I have a simple question to ask you today. I hope you are not guilty of borrowing without giving or paying back.
Most people are guilty of this. By every acceptable means, this is not a good habit.
There is no doubt about it that no man is fully self-sufficient in everything, therefore, there are circumstances or occasions that will compel a man to borrow things like money, books, tools, CDs, etc. from another fellow.
The habit of defaulting in giving back shows that you are :
i) Not a reliable person.
ii) Not trustworthy.
iii) A person without character.
iv) A dubious individual.
v) A bad example to others.
vi) A man with a ‘never do well’ mind.
vii) You don’t mind yourself or others being debarred subsequently from giving and receiving such assistance.*
viii) You have a poor giving-back mentality, even to society.
Some common excuses for defaulting in returning what has been borrowed are :
i) There are times we say in our minds that the lender is rich, therefore what was borrowed from him won’t reduce him.
ii) The lender knows that I am very poor, he wouldn’t mind my not returning what was borrowed from him.
iii) There are times we assume that the lender is naturally a quiet person, he wouldn’t quarrel or raise his voice over the item not being returned.
iv) The lender is an understanding fellow, he will understand my plight, and wouldn’t, therefore, mind me not returning it.
iv) The town is generally bad and the situation is worsening by the day, so I can’t help it.
v) My own situation is a critical one and has since worsened since for example, the oil subsidy was removed, hence the lender should understand me.
vi) There are times we assume that I wouldn’t need the lender’s help in the nearest future, hence I can afford not to return the item I have borrowed.
vii) There are times we reason that: “I need more time to return what I have borrowed”, so, not now.
I tell you that none of the arguments above, and any possible other reasons do not hold water. Therefore, no matter the justifications for our defaulting, it is simply bad not to return what you have borrowed.
You must therefore learn and master the habit of returning whatever you borrowed from others as soon as possible.
This will, among other reasons, :
i) Encourage the lender to assist more people in need.
ii) Show that you are a man of your word, who says, and does so.
iii) Make you worthy of further assistance in other areas of life, and at other times in the future.
iv) Allow you to carry your shoulder high when that stage of your life is put behind you and say that you are not a defaulter in any form.
v) Make you (the borrower) be in the right frame of mind of being willing to help others now or in the future.
