Don't Stan People, Stan Values

You have probably heard people say “never meet your heroes.” There are reasons for that, one of such is simply because people change. What they say today might contradict what they said yesterday. What they believe today might be out the window tomorrow. But ideas, values, and principles? They don’t shift like that, unless you choose to shift with them. This is why I strongly believe you should only stan values, not people.

When you build your worldview around principles, not personalities, you gain something rare, you gain clarity. You stop tying your identity to people and start tying it to what is right, what is true, what is wholesome. That helps you see things as they are, not as your emotions want them to be.

Here is the thing, people are influenced by their environment, by their desires, fears, and ambitions. No one is above bias, not your pastor, your parent, your politician, or your mentor. That's why we must stay grounded in values.

When you stan a person, what happens when they change? Or when they fall? Do you fall with them?

Let me borrow some analogies.

There is a Yoruba adage that says "Inú ìkòkò dúdú ní ẹ̀kọ́ funfun ti jáde", loosely translated to "out of the black pot comes white pap". Just because the pot is black doesn't mean the content can not be clean.

A mad man can speak wisdom. A dead clock is still right twice a day. That politician you dislike might have a good idea. That striker from a rival team might pull off brilliance. And yes, your favorite leader can be wrong too.

You must learn to separate the action from the actor.

Just because a dog barks doesn't make it human. And if your human starts barking, don’t pretend he is a dog. Call it what it is. If you love humans, clap for the dog for doing a human thing but don’t start calling it human, that’s confusion, that’s blind loyalty. You lose your ability to assess reality because you are too emotionally entangled.

I have seen this play out in politics, sports, religion, everywhere. A government does something objectively good, but because it’s not "your" government, you twist it. Or the reverse, "your" people do something terrible, but you excuse it. We are so committed to sides that we abandon sense.

This happens because many people don’t have their own mental compass. They have outsourced their reasoning to their emotions or to the personalities they follow.

I once had a boss who say, “Follow me blindly and I won’t lead you astray.” I understood the sentiment, he believed in his vision but the truth remains that he is human. What if his personal ambition clouds his judgment? What if weakness creeps in? If I follow blindly, I might end up far from where I should be.

This isn’t about being disloyal. You can love deeply, support loyally, admire greatly but do it with your eyes open. When the people you love are right, stand with them, when they are wrong, help them do better. This is real loyalty, one anchored in truth and not blind emotion.

Stanning blindly is dangerous. It strips you of discernment. You need to have a mind of your own. If you have no standard, no value system of your own, how do you judge whether what they say or do is right or wrong? You can’t. So you follow everything hook, line, and sinker.

So yes, love who you want, support who you want, but don’t turn off your brain in the process. Stand for something bigger than personalities.

Stan ideas. Stan values. Stan truth.

Shine your eyes. Don’t be led astray.

TL;DR – A Distilled Takeaway

Ideas over individuals: People can change, principles are more stable. Clarity over sentiment: Emotions should not override judgment. Recognize truth regardless of the source: Even flawed people can say something wise. Separate action from identity: Judge acts, not people. Avoid blind loyalty: It clouds discernment and invites manipulation. Have your own standards: Use values to measure what is right or wrong. Call things as they are: Loyalty doesn't mean denial. Support with reason, not blindness: This is real love, real wisdom.