Podcast Dialogue: Kadija Nilea and Matt on Philosophy, Stubbornness, and Universal Truths

Matt: Kadija, before we dive deeper into the conversation, I have to ask — do you read philosophy? The way you think and explain things feels deeply philosophical.

Kadija: Philosophy? No, Matt, I don’t waste my time reading the works of decorated madmen.

Matt: Decorated madmen? That’s… a bold statement. What do you mean by that?

Kadija: (chuckles) Exactly what I said. People treat philosophers like these great thinkers, but I can’t help but see them as stubborn men who wasted years on ideas they could never resolve. You know, I used to think philosophers probably spent a day or maybe an afternoon lounging by the fireplace, throwing around thoughts and theories. That, at least, sounded amusing — kind of like a game of intellectual ping-pong. But then I learned they spent years, even lifetimes, on these unresolved ideas. That’s when it stopped being funny and became tragic.

Matt: Wait, so are you saying all philosophy is a waste of time?

Kadija: I wouldn’t say all, because I haven’t read everything, nor do I plan to. But I approach it with deep suspicion. It’s better to assume their ideas are flawed until proven otherwise than to enter blindly and assume they’re right. It saves time and unnecessary frustration.

And here’s the thing, Matt — stubbornness plays a huge role in this. You see it in these philosophers dedicating decades to ideas that never form a complete picture. It’s like chasing scattered puzzle pieces that will never fit together, yet they keep going. Why? Because at some point, it stops being about ignorance and becomes about pride — stubbornness that blinds them to the signs right in front of them.

Matt: Signs? What kind of signs are you talking about?

Kadija: Signs from God, Matt. Take this for example: If God gave the Pharaoh endless chances, even while he was committing heinous acts, even sending a messenger to speak kindly to him, how much more merciful would He be to someone sitting in a study? God doesn’t punish without sending warnings and signs first — stress, dead ends, an internal compass, even a sense that something isn’t right. But humans, we’re so stubborn. We fight those signs, bury them, and convince ourselves we’re in control.

Matt: So, you’re saying stubbornness is the root of it all?

Kadija: Exactly. Stubbornness makes us cling to control, even when it’s obvious it’s not working. And we justify it. We’ll go years holding onto ideas that don’t serve us, pretending we don’t see the truth, just to avoid admitting we were wrong.

Matt: But how can you be so sure about all this?

Kadija: It’s simple, Matt. Just look at us. Right now, we’re sitting in this room, recording this podcast, and we don’t even know what’s behind the wall in front of us. That alone tells us how limited our understanding is.

Matt: Fair, but how does that connect to universal truths?

Kadija: Because if my understanding is so limited that I don’t even know what’s behind a wall, how on earth do I think I can sit down and figure out universal truths? Look at the differences in perspectives — just within a single household, let alone a community, a state, or a country. The moment I say, “This is a universal truth,” someone, somewhere will be ready to defy it. So how do we find truth? By acknowledging that it has to come from something higher than us — something that knows everything about everything.

Matt: And what is that “something”?

Kadija: It’s God. Look around us — nature, the universe, the balance in everything. We didn’t create any of it. We came here and found it. And just like everything we use in our daily lives — furniture, tools, technology — had to be made by someone, the world around us must have been made by something. And if that Creator knows everything about everything, then it must have told us something about our purpose.

Matt: How do we know what it said?

Kadija: That’s where religion comes in. If we genuinely seek answers, that same Creator will guide us to the truth, just like it guides the ant to know its role in life. If something as tiny and seemingly insignificant as an ant knows what it’s supposed to do, how can we, as more complex beings, not have guidance? It doesn’t make sense.

Matt: Okay, so let’s say someone looks into these religions and their holy books. What happens if they find contradictions or things that don’t make sense?

Kadija: That’s the beauty of it, Matt. If you find contradictions or things that go against balance and logic, then it can’t be from the Creator. The same Creator that made everything balanced — our bodies, nature, the universe — wouldn’t contradict itself. You move on to the next, and the next, until you find the one that aligns with truth.

Matt: But what about the parts that are hard to understand?

Kadija: That’s where humility comes in. Remember the wall in front of us that we can’t see past? We’re limited. There will always be things we don’t fully grasp, but that doesn’t mean the rest isn’t true. It’s like water — imagine you didn’t understand what water was, but every time you drank it, your thirst was quenched. Do you really need to overanalyze it by the tenth time? No, because you’ve experienced its truth.

Matt: So, you’re saying we’re too stubborn to see it?

Kadija: Exactly. The truth is simple, Matt, but we complicate it because we’ve been conditioned to think it has to be complex. We cling to control, even when it doesn’t serve us, pretending we don’t see what’s right in front of us. And then, when we finally face the truth, we’re shocked — not because it’s hard, but because it’s so simple.

Matt: You’re blowing my mind right now. I feel like everything I’ve ever believed is being questioned.

Kadija: (smiles) It’s not me, Matt. It’s the truth. You’re not shocked by what I’m saying — you’re shocked by how simple it is. You were trained to believe it had to be complicated, but the truth doesn’t need your approval. It’s just there, unshaken, like your own name.

Matt: (laughs nervously) I feel like I’m going to spend weeks processing this.

Kadija: And that’s okay. Too much at once isn’t good, anyway. Let’s wrap this up. Thank your audience, and give yourself time to let it sink in. The truth will still be here when you’re ready, and frankly, Matt, I’m tired.