After watching Number 24 on Netflix, the story of Gunnar Sonsteby, I began to reflect on the true meaning of hubris. What does it really mean? Why do civilizations, traditions, and systems, whether positive or negative, eventually crumble?

The root of hubris, I believe, lies in the comfort that accompanies success or the prolonged dominance of unchallenged oppressive systems, whether within a civilization, an organization, or an individual. Over time, such systems become so deeply entrenched in their achievements that they lose sight of a fundamental truth: their survival hinges on the ability to anticipate and adapt to disruptors

When Germany annexed Norway, they underestimated disruptors like the resistance movement led by Gunnar Sønsteby. Similarly, the architects of apartheid in South Africa failed to foresee disruptors like Nelson Mandela and his comrades, whose resilience ultimately dismantled the oppressive system.

In Nigeria, senior lawyers and leaders of the legal profession monopolized access to judgments from superior courts, including the Supreme Court, using them as leverage to dominate junior lawyers and the entire legal practice. However, they did not anticipate the emergence of Chief Gani Fawehinmi, whose revolutionary mission democratized and transformed the legal profession.

Today, January 15, we commemorate the anniversary of his call to the Nigerian Bar in 1965 and celebrate his enduring legacy. His groundbreaking publication of law reports, which democratized access to legal resources, remains robust, influential, and continues to expand even 15 years after his passing.

Similarly, when the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida allegedly ordered the murder of Dele Giwa, they failed to account for the unwavering opposition of Chief Gani Fawehinmi. At great personal risk, he relentlessly pursued justice, challenging the impunity of a feared military junta and leaving a legacy of courage and resilience in the face of oppression.

Disruptors transcend professions and industries. Car hire companies failed to anticipate Uber and its visionary founder, Travis Kalanick, while Kodak never saw the filmless camera revolution coming. These examples remind us that success should never breed complacency, for the disruptor is often just around the corner.

Hubris, it seems, has a curious way of recruiting its own external disruptors. History has shown us that hubris is a plague that often destroys because it is incapable of self-evaluation or re-evaluation and therefore cannot reinvent itself. This characteristic is evident in the fall of empires like the Roman Empire. The Romans, overconfident in their unchallenged power and the stability of their systems, failed to adapt to the changing world around them. They were eventually undone by internal decay and external pressures, as invaders and new political forces disrupted their way of life.

This truth is as clear as day. So, why, then, do systems, traditions, civilizations, industrial revolutions, political systems, ideological leanings, and even empires and kingdoms still fall victim to hubris?

The lesson I take away from this is simple yet profound: Change is constant. It is always present. Either we act on change, or change will act on us. To maintain longevity, relevance, and constancy, whether in organizations that have lasted centuries or in civilizations that continue to thrive, we must not take disruption for granted. We must create our own disruption before the world forces it upon us.

Even God disrupted the Old Testament with the coming of Jesus, serving as a self-orchestrated disruption. The Bible says in Hebrews 8:7-13 (NIV): “For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: ‘The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors…’” In this sense, disruption can be a blessing when it is internal, brought about by the system itself, knowing that change is inevitable.

This concept has led me to think deeply about my own life and work. Am I waiting for a disruption to happen, or am I actively disrupting myself? Life is in a constant state of evolution, and only through self-directed disruption can we avoid the complacency that leads to stagnation.

Even platforms like Facebook and Instagram, built on the pillars of communication and community, have become architects of their own disruption. A recent broadcast by Mark Zuckerberg, announcing major policy changes in response to changing times, is an example of internal disruption. In essence, it was a conscious decision to disrupt, to embrace change before it could be forced upon them from the outside.

In all things, disruption is the antidote to stagnation. It is not just an external force; it is something we must actively pursue within ourselves, in our systems, our businesses, and our civilizations. To ignore it, to allow hubris to take root, is to surrender to the inevitable decline of all that we’ve built.