Ayanda Borotho dishes some advice: Popularity is not a substitute for character

Isibaya actress and author Ayanda Borotho has reminded her followers that looking beyond the “packaging” of the people in their lives will save them in the long run.

The actress has become well-known across different platforms for her activism and her thirst to stir up necessary conversation in society. This time, she wanted to remind her thousands of followers about the importance of prioritising “character” above personality or popularity.

“Personality/Charisma/Popularity is not a substitute for character. Too often we focus our attention on the packaging and not what's inside the package. People can be nice, funny, charismatic, beautiful even, well put together, clean, well spoken, say the right things ... walk into a room and make everyone laugh, walk into a room and be 'nice' to everyone ... don't let that fool you. That's not who they are, that's the 'nice' packaging. Our true selves are defined by our 'character' ... that which is inside the packaging.”

Ayanda, who has found herself neck-deep in debates about feminism, human rights and patriarchy among many other subjects on the TL, explained that she wished she had known earlier in life that looking at a person's true character was a timesaver.

The actress said that since she had learnt how vital character was in the people around her, she's been intentional about exposing it.

“I'm on this journey of training myself to test the 'character' of those around me. I've stopped allowing people access to me because they are 'nice'. I've also stopped giving people space in my heart they don't deserve because in today's world, everyone is 'my friend/choma'. I'm learning it's OK to call people acquaintances. Not everyone needs to be a friend,” she said.

Read the full post below.