A certain Stanford commencement speech will forever be a bible chapter for rebels of certain type. Those who dare to ‘think different’ as preached by the 1997 to 2002 Apple, Inc advertising slogan. It was at the end of this emotional, inspiring speech that Steve Jobs urged the class of 2005 to ‘stay hungry, stay foolish’.
Those four simple words have been termed by some an ‘inspirational slogan’. However to most Steve Jobs disciples, the four words are a condensation of the genius and wisdom of the man: a proverb. But what if Jobs had been Luhya, speaking to a Luhya class in a language from one of the houses of mulembe? In the off possibility of such a scenario, the Bukusu proverb ‘sie munda sisuta sie khumurwe’ would have been Job’s saving grace. But what exactly did Mbukusu mean by this proverb? First things first. So we ask, what did Steve Jobs mean by ‘stay hungry, stay foolish’?
Meaning Of Steve Job Proverb Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish
In truth, the genius of this Steve Jobs proverb is how it conveys a compound issue is a simple way that most people understand. Therefore, it came as no surprise that the best answer I could get on scouring the internet for its meaning was a Quora reply. Truthfully, I’d expected volumes upon volumes of pdfs given the way this speech connected with the masses. Anyway, in the Quora answer with 95 upvotes (at the time of publishing), a user Monika Rai breaks down the meaning of the Steve Jobs proverb as follows:
Stay hungry: It means willingness to acquire more and more. You should constantly strive to do better. If you continue to stay hungry, you may work on bringing quality with that measure.
Stay foolish: Follow your aspirations. People may call you foolish while taking unconventional decision. Stay that way. For in the end, you will prove them incorrect
This answer left me encouraged by my choice of Bukusu proverb, ‘sie munda sisuta sie khumurwe’, as being the best bet for Steve Jobs that afternoon of June 12, 2005. This is because on applying the meaning of this Bukusu proverb to contemporary 21st century life, I find certain themes that cuts across. Dare I say, the Bukusu one beats the Steve Jobs one both in being more cryptic and packing more wisdom. This is in spite of the obvious differences in context and cultures.
The Meaning Of The Bukusu Proverb ‘Sie munda sisuta sie khumurwe’
What is contained in the stomach is what carries the one in the head.
In our post on Bukusu proverbs on health, we saw how this proverb carries important advice that is congruent with modern thinking on nutrition. However, we were very light on the science of ‘what is contained in the stomach is what one carries in the head’. Today, we correct that. This is because understanding the science helps fit this Bukusu proverb into modern living. More importantly, it’s central to our fringe theory on why ‘stay hungry, stay foolish’ and ‘ sie munda sisuta sie khumurwe’ speak as one.
Why Staying Hungry Is Good For The Brain
The wisdom of Mbukusu’s proverb as found in today’s science.
Human physiology informs us that we breakdown food into energy. In effect, the food we eat is primarily for nourishing our brains. This is because our brains account for 20% of energy expenditure. Therefore, in states of starvation our bodies adapt to keep vital organs like the brain alive. Starvation can follow either inadequate food intake or poor utilization of ingested food as it occurs in diabetes. The body can also be forced into starvation mode through dieting and fasting.
In starvation mode, the body compensates for the lack of glucose by ‘eating itself’ up. This is achieved primarily by breaking down stored body fat. The result of breakdown of fats in an alternative energy source known as ketones. Though the science is yet to be conclusive, ketones in various studies have been protective to the brain and neurons.
A Hungry, or is starving, Steve Jobs
In his Stanford speech, Steve Jobs tells a story of how he was literally starving as he drew the first dots of Apple, Inc. While the proverb stay hungry stay foolish talks of a different type of hunger, I cannot resist to make the following casual observations.
First, the state of mind advocated by ‘stay hungry’ is one that demands optimal functioning of the brain. Therefore, extrapolating the science, one can say that having an empty stomach helps the brain to remain hungry the Steve Jobs way.
Secondly, even when taken literally, escaping hunger and want is a powerful motivating force for many a successful entrepreneurs. The danger for such entrepreneurs, and indeed most of us, is being consumed by the ‘I have made it’ syndrome. Soon, as is often the case, most fill up their hunger with needless consumption. Moreover, once this ‘devil’ of having made it finds its way into the mind, the mind loses its way. It is no longer hungry.
This same hunger (also taking it literally) for Mbukusu is the one that urges individuals seeking to make a difference to develop a distaste for distractions. In particular, I talk of alcohol. Among the Luhya, a polite way of saying someone is drunk is to say “so and so is satisfied.” We all know what too much alcohol in the stomach does to the brain. Needless to add what an unhealthy appetite for partying does to dreams. For sure, parte after parte doesn’t mix well with ‘staying hungry’.
How Staying Hungry Helps One To Stay Foolish
Back to the science. Some studies show that ketones reduce inflammation responsible for ageing. For instance, in lab models ketones increase the production of important proteins inside cells populating regions of the brain responsible for memory and learning. Further, in small studies on humans, ketones have been demonstrated to reduce symptoms of nerve diseases like Parkinson’s disease and mild cognitive impairment in the elderly.
In lieu of what we have learned about ketones production, some emerging lifestyle trends are indeed exciting. I speak of the Keto diet and intermittent fasting. Now the science is yet to be exact, but these two fads are not short of champions. If for a moment we were to control for everything and take what the converts of these two fads as the gospel truth, then quite literately sie munda sisuta sie khumurwe. How does all this fit in with ‘stay foolish’?
Well, aspiration and steadfastness in following a dream are functions of hope. One stays on course as they believe there will be a tomorrow and it will be better. In essence, you plant today because you will be there tomorrow to water, tend and harvest. Thus, if one ‘stays hungry’ in both the literal and cryptic sense, the Mbukusu and Steve Jobs sense, they also inevitably ‘stay foolish’.
