Hippos and Cheeaths
The hippopotamus, abbreviated as the hippo, is the third largest mammal to be placed on planet earth trailing behind the elephant and the white rhino. It is a round creature that has been given the name “river horse”. Amongst its predators are the human and the lion, it seems like being big does not accredit for anything.
The cheetah however is not a large creature, yet its body is designed it seems for speed, as it is streamlined and agile on its feet. Do not be mistaken by its beauty, for it is a master at hunting prey. Even though it is built for speed, agile and carnivorous, it is still triumphed over by the human and lion once again. I can say speed is not everything!
Funnily enough animals are used in this post as a description of a particular individual that behaves or claims to behave in a certain way. We have the hippo, which describes a hypocrite and this is defined by the dictionary as “a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs”. The cheetah however describes a deceiver and is defined as “(of a person) Cause (someone) to believe something that is not true, typically in order to gain some personal advantage.” In this post I will use hippo and cheetah to describe these different types of individuals.
When a person makes a statement to you about something that is based around what they morally believe to be right or wrong, true or untrue, you as an individual to some degree expect them to stand by what they say in situations where it will even test or sway them to possibly contradict their “morals”. If person A says “Eugh! Why are you picking your nose, that is disgusting I absolutely hate it, I will never do that”, and then you see them pick their nose two days later and even eat it or flick it, they are a hippo, in fact an obese hippo because they went the extra mile and ate it! Why say it at all if you’re prone to doing it yourself. Some people, i.e. hippos need to be careful with what they say, and how they judge people, because if you feel so strongly about an individual doing something that apparently you don’t agree with, don’t expect to get let of lightly if you follow in their footsteps and do that same thing. Don’t say anything at all, or admit you do that yourself even though you don’t like to; it’s very simple. If you are a hippo, you are creating a false image of yourself you want to express vocally towards others. There is the saying, “Everyone is a hippo”, but you will get stoned if you express your hypocrisy vocally. People that do not express it vocally will perform a task or act in a particular way in a situation and then on another occasion perform the task or act differently in the same situation. This is not so bad as you do not express so passionately how you would act in that particular situation, you may be questioned but that’s about it. Once individuals determine your true nature and discover that you are in fact a hippo, the level on your respect meter will decrease, as you have gone against your word by possibly judging others in the process. Why should people take you as seriously if you can’t remain disciplined, or stick to what you say? It shows carelessness of thought and actions. Think before you speak.
Cheetahs are everywhere, deception can be a fine art, or a complete fail. Cheetahs move in places where they want to gain a desired effect, therefore they will use the art of deception to get to that place. It is also a way to obtain precious knowledge, especially if you’re lying is manipulative or skilled. But unfortunately, or fortunately for that matter a lot of people cannot “run fast” as cheetahs (run fast refers to lying so well that its hard to get caught out). If people deliberately avoid saying something, or refuse to continue with a particular topic they are either hiding something, afraid or lying. You can always notice a change in the patterns of their actions, voice, and behaviour when someone you know is lying. Cheetahs are the funniest people in the world when they are caught, because the person who caught them out are in control, they could either play along and lead them into a trap, or confront them. If they do lead them along they must be 100% confident that they are “faster than them”, and that their knowledge is superior to there’s at all times. They need to make sure that they are disciplined, and more sound than them, so that they can adapt in most situations if need be.
The world is full of hippos and cheetahs, they are everywhere in this jungle we live in, but at the end of the day it’s about survival of the fittest! Make sure you stay alive!
