The Oversabi Syndrome: A Nigerian Mirror Reflection

 

There’s a habit many of us carry without knowing, and it’s costing us more than we think. In fact, it’s one of the most common traits in the average Nigerian person: the need to act like we know it all. 

Recently, I've taken note of this habit— an attitude that we play unconsciously. I’m guilty too. 

We call it Oversabi. Or as it’s popularly phrased, “I too know.” 

Oversabi isn’t wisdom. It’s ignorance dressed as confidence. 

You’ll see it everywhere. At the church, in offices, and even at social gatherings. Someone asks a question, there’s always that one person who’s quick to answer. 

Even when the conversation doesn’t concern them, they jump in uninvited. And more often than not, they end up sharing false information. 

If this sounds like you, it’s time to pause and reflect. Not because you shouldn’t express yourself, but because you might be doing more harm than good. Instead of impressing, which of course is the primary aim of the oversabi individual, it exposes. 

The need to appear intelligent is part of what’s holding us back. We want to be seen as smart, but in trying too hard, we reveal our ignorance.

 

Let me share one of many encounters that brought this home for me. 

I was sitting in a mobile phone store when I overheard a conversation between two women. One woman wanted to buy a button phone, and the other interrupted her confidently: 

“They don’t sell such phones here. This is a big store.” 

That was completely false. But she didn’t stop there. She kept on assuming things, speaking like she worked there. I felt secondhand embarrassment for her. 

At that moment, I was reminded of the time I did the same thing. I asked myself: 

Was this how ignorant I looked? Was this how people saw me? 

I didn’t want to imagine what must have been going through the minds of people when I did that. The thought alone was humbling. 

Sometimes we think experience makes us experts. Because someone has had a certain medical procedure or been through certain situations, they now feel like an expert qualified to give advice. 

This isn’t just misleading, it’s dangerous. And it reflects poorly on our intelligence.

How Do You Avoid Oversabi Moments?

• Listen more, talk less. 

• Don’t rush to answer; let others speak first. Give yours only when no one has a clue of the answer. 

• Speak only when asked. 

• Respect boundaries. Don’t butt into conversations that aren’t your business. 

Here’s a truth I’ll leave you with: You can’t know it all. If you think you do, someone else knows it better. 

So tune the show of intelligence down a notch. Not for shame, but for your growth. 

Pay more attention. Because in listening, you might learn something completely different from what you thought you knew. 

Oversabi isn’t confidence. It’s noise and ignorance in one package. And in a world full of voices, the wise ones are those who know when to stay silent.  

Today, leave the oversabi syndrome and let it leave you.