Tutuwa Ahwoi

Beyoncé x The Iliad

I learned today there are three types of curiosity:

The Busybody: The gossip, collecting info on many topics just for interest.

The Hunter: Focused on specific answers, avoiding distractions.

The Dancer: Leaps between ideas, creating new connections

greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item...

What I learned this week:

Adult numeracy & literacy is declining in high-income countries, including the US. This chart from Jonathan Haidt is concerning. A growing percentage of adults struggle to use math to evaluate claims. Makes me wonder how this impacts decision-making in our society #data

Colourful cut-outs are the building blocks of Charry Kyung’s joyful, geometric designs The South Korean designer uses Matisse-inspired techniques in her vibrant brand identities, posters, and publications.

www.itsnicethat.com/articles/cha...

🏛️ The Odyssey is more than an adventure. It’s a guide to wisdom, endurance, and human nature. If you enjoyed this thread, dive deeper into a detailed book summary on my website. Read more here: www.tutuwaahwoi.com/booknotes/bo... #TheOdyssey #Classics #BookThread #BookShot

Lesson 24: **The Story Never Truly Ends** - Even though Athena intervenes to stop the violence, the epic closes ambiguously. Like all great journeys, life continues beyond the last page.

Lesson 23: **Trust Requires Verification** - Even the deepest love needs proof. Penelope tests Odysseus with the secret of their immovable bed, showing that trust, especially after long absence, must be verified before fully embraced.

Lesson 22: **Justice Requires Proportion** - Even righteous vengeance needs boundaries. The wholesale slaughter of the suitors raises questions about the concept of proportionate justice—where does the line lie between justified retribution and excessive violence?

Lesson 21: **The Test Reveals the Worthy** - True capability reveals itself when tested. None but Odysseus can string his bow, showing that true skill and merit will ultimately emerge when genuinely challenged.

Lesson 20: **The Best Revenge is Patient and Precise** - Odysseus doesn’t attack the suitors impulsively—he plans carefully. Vengeance requires strategy.

Lesson 19: **Scars Tell Our Stories** - Our wounds become part of our identity. Odysseus' scar—revealed to his old nurse—shows how our past injuries, both physical and emotional, mark us permanently but need not define our future.

Lesson 18: **Strength Wears Many Disguises** - Real power often hides beneath humble exteriors. The "beggar" Odysseus defeats the arrogant Irus. It is wise never to judge capability or worth by outward appearances. Pick your battles carefully.

Lesson 17: **True Loyalty Endures all Changes** — Odysseus’ loyal dog Argos, despite years of absence and neglect, instantly recognizes his master in disguise after twenty years. Devotion persists even when tested by decades of separation and dramatic change.

Lesson 16: **Timing and Trust are essential to Success**—Odysseus reveals himself only to his son, showing that strategic patience and carefully choosing your confidants are crucial when facing overwhelming odds.

Lesson 15: **The Gods Help Those Who Act** - Athena helps Telemachus because he takes action. Divine help follows effort, not idleness.

Lesson 14: **Value Substance Over Appearance** - True worth isn't found in outward trappings. The humble swineherd Eumaeus shows greater nobility than the aristocratic suitors, proving character manifests in actions, not titles or possessions.

Lesson 13: **The Disorientation of Homecoming** - Returning home can be as disorienting as leaving it. Odysseus wakes on Ithaca but doesn't recognize it. We too change while absent, making "home" both familiar and strange.

Lesson 12: **Sometimes All Your Choices are Bad** - Odysseus must decide between Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus sails closer to Scylla, sacrificing six men to avoid the ship and crew’s destruction by Charybdis. Leadership often involves making difficult choices between terrible options.

Lesson 11: **Face Your Fears** - Facing your darkest fears yields wisdom. Odysseus’s journey into the literal realm of death shows that confronting our fears is necessary for progress.

Lesson 10:  **Choose Your Crew Wisely** – Bad companions (like those who open the bag of winds) can ruin everything. Your team can make or break your journey. Choose wisely.

Lesson 9: **Cunning Intelligence (metis) over Brute Strength** - Odysseus defeats Polyphemus not just with force, but with deception. Intelligence, not just brute force, is key to leadership. Strategy matters.

Lesson 8: **Show Restraint**— Maintain your dignity when challenged. True strength comes not from boasting about your abilities, but from showing restraint until provoked and then letting your actions speak louder than words.

Lesson 7: **Hospitality Reveals Character** – The Greek value of xenia (hospitality) is a moral test. Good hosts and guests thrive; bad ones suffer. The Phaeacians extend lavish hospitality to Odysseus with no guarantee of return. How we treat strangers says everything about us.

Lesson 6: **Help the Vulnerable** – Princess Nausicaa’s compassion toward the shipwrecked stranger shows genuine nobility comes from extending kindness to others at their most vulnerable.

Lesson 5: **Persistence Through Suffering** – Sometimes you must endure what cannot be changed. Odysseus, alone on Calypso's island and then adrift at sea, shows that resilience isn't always about fighting—sometimes it's about surviving until conditions change.

Lesson 4: **Honor the wisdom of those who came before you**—Telemachus gains crucial knowledge by seeking out and listening to Menelaus, his father's old ally, showing that respectfully consulting experienced mentors often reveals solutions to problems we cannot solve alone.

Lesson 3: **Honor Your Elders** - Knowledge and wisdom flow from those who came before us. Nestor's stories remind us that honoring elders isn't just about respect—it's about learning from lived experience that no book can teach.

Lesson 2: **Take Initiative** —Growth requires struggle. True maturity emerges when you stop complaining about your circumstances and take concrete action to address challenges. Telemachus stops complaining about his problems and actively seeks solutions via his journey to seek news of his father.

Lesson 1: **The Magic of Storytelling** – The epic begins with a shout-out to the Muse. Stories shape how we see ourselves and our world. Who tells your story—and how—matters.

🚢 *The Odyssey* isn’t just an epic—it's a guide to life.  I just finished reading Emily Wilson’s translation, and I’m sharing **24 key takeaways—one from each book of the epic.**

📜 Wisdom. ⚔️ Strategy. 💔 Loss. 🏡 Home. Let’s journey through it together. 🧵👇 #TheOdyssey #BookThread #BookShot