By Dorothy C. Anyiam-Osigwe
One of the greatest destroyers of the human body is a guilty conscience. It is the root cause of many human ailments that are very difficult to heal. Anything that your society frowns at and anything that will make one feel very small and humiliated at the discovery and exposure should be avoided at all cost.
The dictionary defines adultery as: “A voluntary sexual intercourse of a married man with a woman other than his wife or of a married woman with a man other than her husband.” But one can extend the definition, to include sexual acts which may be deemed inappropriate by society.
Both men and women engaged in this dangerous game know that what it takes is very unhealthy – the anxious moments of hide and seek, the deceit, the restless mind and unwholesome and endless lies and pretences take a toll. Impure practices and vicious habits have a devastating effect on the mental, physical and moral life of an individual. Such a person burns out fast, deteriorates physically and mentally and ages prematurely.
There is also the danger of losing every respect from your family and loved ones and the humiliation that comes when such acts are discovered and exposed. Shame kills without a knife.
A healthy dose of self-worth is crucial for any individual. Doing what is considered right gives us a personal feeling of high self-worth; and when we think of ourselves with high esteem, we tend to be more efficient. Our self-confidence knows no bounds when we can look at the world and ourselves without wincing. However, we are weaklings when our self-confidence is gone; and the loss is even greater when we know it was as a result of our questionable actions. Impurity generates inferiority, the killing of ambition, and the lowering of moral and physical standards. In short, the loss of manhood or womanhood.
And, one has to consider the devastating consequences of adulterous practices: terrible heartaches and bitterness, unwanted children, abandoned ones, single parenthood, broken homes, child delinquency. It is as though nature herself takes revenge for the violation of the sex instinct implanted in us for procreation. Even if done in absolute secrecy, the privacy of the deed does not absolve us. Without purity, there is no lasting greatness.
There is truly profound unhappiness and regret that comes from the indulgence in a life of immorality. This profound unhappiness with oneself and the world can be avoided if one had the moral strength to adhere to the simple maxim – THOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY. A maxim that if adhered to and the immoral instinct controlled, that is, the sexual life kept wholesome and healthy, one’s whole life blossoms out in beauty and glory.
As the saying goes, purity is not only a health preserver; it is also a youth preserver and a life prolonger. Therefore, living by the maxim – “Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery”, not only preserves your honour, your prestige, your marriage/or family life, it also keeps you healthy in mind and body, and soul.
Chief (Mrs.) Dorothy C. Anyiam-Osigwe OON is an Agony Columnist, Writer and Company Executive.