The Reason Why I Would Have Gone Crazy Years Ago,” Wole Soyinka Reflects On His Mental Resilience

Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka recently discussed his approach to maintaining his mental equilibrium over the years…CONTINUE READING

In an interview with Turkish journalist Aysegul Sert in Paris, he revealed his perspective. This interview was summarized in an article on LitHub, published on October 19, 2023.

When questioned about the secret to his enduring vitality at the age of 89, Soyinka admitted to having no definitive answer.

He acknowledged that he should be slowing down at his age, but intriguingly, every time he attempted to do so, unforeseen events or circumstances compelled him to remain active.

With a sigh, he said, “I have no idea. I should be slowing down, I know, but each time I try to slow down something happens, and I have to get on the trail again,” illustrating his relentless drive.

Soyinka also opened up about his difficulty in disengaging from challenging situations. He noted that turning his back on such situations often left him without a sense of inner tranquility.

He explained, “You see, I am deprived of that sense of inner tranquility once I turn my back on a situation. Quite frankly, I think it’s a flaw because I am depriving myself of something which I know I need profoundly.”

However, he revealed that he had maintained his mental stability over the years by employing a strategy he described as “extracting myself from the world.” Soyinka emphasized that if he didn’t find moments of quietude for his mind, he would have succumbed to the pressures of life long ago.

He clarified, “If I didn’t manage to have some quiet in my mind, I’d have gone crazy years ago, so it’s a question of extracting myself [from the world] whenever I can.”

This method, he admitted, involved sacrificing some of life’s pleasures. It entailed fighting for one’s creative space and seizing opportunities to retreat from the world, all while preserving one’s innermost need to find solitude.

Soyinka concluded by advising that if one can strike a balance between activism and the creative process, that’s commendable. However, if the internal torment becomes unbearable, he urged individuals to seek silence, close the door, and retreat.