If language is a lens to peer into the culture of a local region, then words become subtle clues that conceal the values and beliefs that the people in that region live by. It is fascinating to witness the power that words unfold in the worlds of those who use them. While I do not subscribe to the school of law of attraction nor believe in manifestations, I do recognise the inherent creative power of words. Back in college, I proudly proclaimed on Orkut that I was a logophile. I still am — and I actively collect words, borrow them and treasure them. They are in a way my secret arsenal. Seasoning to be sprinkled in conversations to adjust the flavour of emotions; Bricks that lay the foundation for a deeper connection; Keys, to unlock different perspectives and Filters to look back at memories through as we craft them into Stories; I am forever captivated by the limitless possibilities of words and look forward to every word I am yet to discover as a treasure waiting to be unearthed. Here I’d love to share with you, two of my top favourites from my arsenal:
Itutu
I came across Itutu in a School of Life video on YT. It was customary to let Alain De Botton’s soothing voice and wise words drift me to la la land on days I found it was hard to sleep. Their mini video podcast on Itutu was my favourite and the one I rewatched the most. In the culture of Yoruba, a region around Nigeria, Itutu was used to describe a ‘cool’ person. Someone who was unbothered and unaffected by negative turn of events and maintained composure in the face of disappointments. Itutu in many ways sounds very similar to a popular word we know that describes the ability to tolerate delay or uninvited hurdles without getting angry or upset. In Christianity, that word — patience (or forbearance) is described as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. It is a virtue that is endowed as a gift. Itutu however is cultivated by adopting a worldview of humble existence being aware that most of all events that transpire are beyond one’s control. It does not mean that the person with Itutu simply cared less about the upset plans. Neither does it convey that a person of Itutu is someone who was passive, clouded in an air of complacency. Itutu underpins within it a wise approach to life that anchors around staying calm by letting go of things that are beyond one’s control.
What makes Itutu quintessentially a cool word is the physical aesthetics associated with being a person of Itutu. In Yoruba, a person of Itutu is considered to be more charming and attractive with better mating potential than their counterparts.
Shokunin
Years ago, I found myself seated next to an elderly lady on a flight. I got acquainted with her, enquired where she was headed, and found that she was visiting a coffee plantation for a coffee tasting session. Seeing my perplexity, she explained that she was a professional coffee taster, and her trade was to grade coffee beans. So, this particular coffee company had invited her on an all-expense paid trip for a day to taste premium coffee. She went on to explain how she trained to do what she did and how it takes a lifetime of dedication to build the acumen required to succeed in her field and how she needed to follow strict discipline in staying away from citric food like lemons and tomatoes as it messes with her taste buds. I wondered, if given an opportunity, would’ve been able to muster the commitment required to be a coffee taster and marvelled at her single-minded endurance. The Japanese have a term for it — Shokunin.
I first came across it in Pallavi Aiyar’s Orienting, where she delightfully chronicles her time spent in Japan. In her book, she introduces Shokunin to her readers as the relentless pursuit of perfection through the honing of a single craft. It is the sushi chef who trained for 10 years before being allowed to cut the fish. It is the potter who dreamed of clay. The thing about Shokunin though is that it comes from a humble acceptance and awareness that perfection was never possible and yet never giving up on the quest. One lifetime may be inadequate to truly master a craft, but the Shokunin kept trying, and found the meaning of life in that attempt. The philosophy of Shokunin emphasises the idea that the pursuit of excellence in one’s craft is not just a job but a way of life.
As millennials, we are afflicted with the pursuit of becoming good at multiple skills while missing out on the depth that comes from focusing on one. May Shokunin remind us that there is a special kind of wisdom and fulfilment to be attained from picking one hobby, one craft or one profession and doing everything with a singular focus of becoming the best at it.
My Shokunin will always be to write and armed with an ever-expanding Wortschatz, I sincerely hope I will write a book that wins a booker prize one day, and even if it didn’t, I would shrug it off like a true Yoruba.
