"THE MERCHANT OF DEATH IS DEAD"
There was a time I wanted to know the words friends & family members would say during my funeral.
Just like a mock trial in legal terms, I wanted a mock funeral. Well, with the exceptions of a few honest eulogies, some of my dear loved ones rebuked me & asked me to delete the post, of course I didn't because I honestly wanted to know how I will be remembered when I die.
Alfred Bernard Nobel, a young Swedish chemist became famous for inverting dynamites & an explosive device called a 'blasting cap'.
The intention for creating dynamite was to help people, not to hurt people. He reasoned that dynamite will be helpful for people in building & in mining.
But greed plus opportunity because of wars lured him into making bombs, canons, & rockets used in wars. The results are innocent people being maimed, killed & buildings destroyed!
Alfred B. Nobel wanted his inventions to help people, instead dynamite made him filthy rich by hurting people & destroying structures.
When Ludvig, Alfred's brother died in 1888, a French Newspaper thought it was Alfred Nobel who died consequently Publishing an unverified scathing obituary of Alfred B. Nobel with the headlines;
"THE MERCHANT OF DEATH IS DEAD".
When Alfred read this obituary, instead of threatening to sue the Newspaper, he took in the words, the insults, the ridicule & decided to rewrite his own obituary.
He reflected on his life, & realized that his inventions will not be remembered for breaking grounds, blasting stones, & paving roads through mountains, but as the invention that caused blood, death & disabilities. Alfred decided to re-write his Will. By re-writing his Will he was changing how history will remember him. How his legacy will look like.
With the Newspaper in his hands he asked himself two fundamental questions;
1. "Is this how posterity is going to remember me?"
2. "Is this the legacy I'll leave behind?"
In 1889 he changed his Will. In this new Will he bequeathed over 94% of his fortune to set up what is called; NOBEL FOUNDATION for "Peace & Brotherhood of men"
Today the Nobel Peace Prize is the most prestigious global awards recognizing men & women in Physics, chemistry, Medicine, Literature & Peace.
African Nobel Prize winners include;
1. Nelson Mandela 🇿🇦
2. Archbishop Desmond Tutu 🇿🇦
3. Albert John Luthuli 🇿🇦
4. Abiy Ahmed 🇪🇹
5. Wole Soyinka 🇳🇬
6. Abdulrazak Gurnh 🇹🇿
7. Kofi Annan 🇬ðŸ‡
8. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 🇱🇷
Today, Alfred B. Nobel is remembered for peace & his philanthropic work.
His goodwill in changing his Will, changed his legacy. He is no longer remembered as the "The Merchant of Death" but a most coveted globally prestigious award in the history of humanity.
If you had the Alfred Nobel "Merchant of Death" moment, what would you change for posterity to remember you?
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