Janvier Chouteu-Chando is a Cameroonian novelist whose remarkable life journey spans continents and cultures. Growing up across the USA, Netherlands, Russia, and Cameroon, he developed a unique perspective on humanity that enriches his fiction and non-fiction works. His writing explores profound questions about human nature, morality, and the pursuit of meaningful existence. With wisdom gained from diverse experiences, he crafts stories that challenge readers to examine their values and choices. Janvier's work encourages people to pursue their goals with integrity, avoid toxic influences, and seek authentic connections that uplift rather than diminish the human spirit.
"When singers, actors or artists touch on sorrow, they are trying to give comfort to aggrieved souls by giving some meaning to their sorrows. The job of the singer, actor or artists ,in general, is to make us comfortable with our feelings or emotions-be it pain, hurt, anger, hatred, sadness, pleasure, love, cheerfulness or joy."
"With true love, you can move mountains, make unusual sacrifices, live a life of deprivations and still be happy."
"The Cameroonian soul is genuine. It is noble, and it embodies humanism."
"So, you see; you have the soul of a missionary, the heart of a revolutionary and the mind of a reformer. But what are you to yourself and the family and friends who will always be there for you?"
"We love out of compassion, passion or a sense of commitment."
"Isn't materialism the cause of much that is evil in the land of mortal souls?"
"No true...father would be unconcerned about discord in his family that may cause it to disintegrate in his absence..."
"Life is full of intriguing souls that you cannot penetrate. An uncomfortable percentage of those anguished and impregnable souls also have suffering hearts that are further tormented by a deluded mind. They will hurt out of an impulse, and then live their lives after that without the slightest remorse."
"The good shall prevail in the end, the truth shall be the rule and the Cameroonian soul shall be free, Hans said in an emotion-choked voice, "However, we should never lose our heads; we should always be prepared to forgive all the repentant souls."
"A man who does not honor the company of his true friends will never see the light of true love."
"Sons, any man who is considered a success in life owes a lot to society. We have been very blessed, my dear sons. We have to show our appreciation to our society for making that possible. A time will come when you will meet other Kamerunians who share the same vision for this land. I am advising you to make them partners in our common goals when that time comes. We shouldn't shy away from playing a formidable role in financing that political force that shall emerge. We must use our influence to ensure that it succeeds."
"Never allow yourself to be sapped of your extraordinary energy that is the necessary ingredient for creating something new and progressive."
"I think preconceived ideas or prejudgments are meant to give us an edge whenever we are dealing with others we don't know or haven't made the effort to understand."
"Most of our brains are out, but it is good what they did for themselves by leaving this country. They are Cameroon's reserve for development, for the day that this country shall be free. Your late father was an intelligent man. He was even more than that. He was a sage. He once said to me that the intelligent Bamilékés are those who have sought a better future for themselves and for their families in British Cameroons. He was right. They have not been brainwashed as much as their francophone brothers have. If he were alive today, I am sure he would have judged that the intelligent Cameroonians are those who have sought refuge out of Cameroon."
"Even with all its positive attributes, capitalism in its imperialistic form is the most treacherous system mankind ever devised. It is driven by a selfishness that has an almost religious underlining to it."
"Life is so sweet even though it is full of lies and half truths..."
"True heroes and ideas never fall in the final sense of the word. They can only encounter temporary setbacks in their difficult journey to progress and success."
"The writer is the cursed artist of the soul. The expression of his art is a reflection of his quest to understand man by unraveling the mysteries that have been haunting humankind from time immemorial. In the end of his journey to understand man, the writer becomes more human even though his soul ends up finding less peace."
"Obsessive love wears down both its target and the obsessor."
"Son, it is bad for a man to be condemned by his children, more so by the sons he cherishes."
"Most of the truly kind people of this world show some measure of discomfort when offered kindness. Their gratitude stems not only from their understanding of the depth of the force of kindness, but also from their conviction that kindness should not be taken for granted."
"There is no bigger gratification than the realization of the things you believe in after overcoming all the odds."
"Avoid people who hurt from an impulse. I mean people who have this tendency to relish their capacity to hurt the good souls of this world, and who after hurting, wake up the next day without a trace of despondent brooding, and then move on with life never thinking that they should show some remorse or try to repent."
"It is easier for an ambitious friend to become an enemy than for an enemy to become a friend. It is even easier to make friends than you can find people to trust as friends."
"Judgments based on preconceptions make life simple for us to deal with since that means we safely shield ourselves behind barriers of preconception that helped us feel safe in whatever views or assumptions we are having."
"The narrow-minded find it convenient to create stereotypes, and then try to fit everybody, everything and every situation into those stereotypes."
"We always emerge from the death of a loved one like a phoenix arising from its funeral pyre."
"Having a deep sense of understanding is a huge burden for a mind that can't directly influence things."