The Igbo self-assurance frightened the British
.
"True democrats, no one was better than themselves but yet they were somehow better than anyone else. This self-assurance was sometimes a little frightening. The Ibo men and women are so continually in the right and so busy proving that everyone else is in the wrong. They want to learn from us but only such things as may be materially productive as soon as possible. They tolerate us because they need us. They do not look upon us resentfully as conquerors but complacently as stepping-stones. What will happen when they can, or think they can mount it alone and no further use of the stepping-stones, no one can tell."
.
AFRICAN WOMEN: A Study of the Ibo of Nigeria, Sylvia Leith-Ross, page 357, published 1939

The Igbo self assurance is really frightening.

cc:Alexbells

You should like this quote

Not necessary

Nna mehnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

In my next world kam bukwara onye Igbo ISEEEEEEEEEEE


IGBO AMAKA

.

Look how deserted this thread is. They just hate and never want good things about the Igbo nation

Igboid:
The Igbo self-assurance frightened the British
.
"True democrats, no one was better than themselves but yet they were somehow better than anyone else. This self-assurance was sometimes a little frightening. The Ibo men and women are so continually in the right and so busy proving that everyone else is in the wrong. They want to learn from us but only such things as may be materially productive as soon as possible. They tolerate us because they need us. They do not look upon us resentfully as conquerors but complacently as stepping-stones. What will happen when they can, or think they can mount it alone and no further use of the stepping-stones, no one can tell."
.
AFRICAN WOMEN: A Study of the Ibo of Nigeria, Sylvia Leith-Ross, page 357, published 1939

I've read this book which was one of the products of the numerous studies British anthropologists took upon themselves when they discovered that all measures employed by the British for effective exploitation of Igboland failed.
While it's good to remind ourselves of our uniqueness I think we have to make room to appear less threatening to others. The British know our potential and they fear what our achievement portends for Africa. You see, a very confident young man is always viewed as a threat anywhere especially by exploiters. The least such a young man should do is to extend his fearlessness to intimidate even those that could easily be his allies when his main enemies should be those exploiters. This is what this thread appears to be although you may not see it so.
The English themselves had to build a great Britain comprising neighbouring tribes (nations of Scots, Celts and Welsh) to conquer the world. Rarely do you have any nation irrespective of how gifted they may be enjoy a series of victories without adding other nations to themselves. The Russians did the same and became so large. The USA story is clear to all. Imagine what a Japan-China combo would have been! Even the USA would quake. Now compare the capabilities of Germany with their actual achievement in world politics. Very small compared to their less gifted neigbours. If only Germany was less too proud of themselves like you're encouraging us to do(hope you got the area of comparison). If only the Germans have been less so threatening than they are, they could have merged with smaller neighbouring tribes which will ultimately make them the masters of all Europe.
My point is that we should try to speak of our unique political set up and the never-give-up mindset of an average Igbo man in a way that markets us to others instead of it appearing so intimidating that it creates further hurdles for us. If you don't know, there are lots of other Africans that love our way of life and would want to learn it but the impediment will be this intimidating outlook. Let's learn from the French who despite their historical achievements still appear less intimidating than others. They have less enemies than others and continue to gain from such posture. My critism is strictly constructive and it's my hope that you understand my message.
Haters will still hate no matter what we do but let's not give room for further misunderstanding from our admirers.
Udo.

Igboid:
The Igbo self assurance is really frightening.

cc:Alexbells

You should like this quote

I love this piece, and you know our Igbo generation no longer needs the stepping stone, Igboid let's move together and design AlaIgbo, into a friendly nightmare.

Typical Igbo spirit.

un-BOW-able

We now have to cast off the psychological chains thrown around us by Nigeria and her foreign enablers, and hit the world stage with a bang, reminiscent of a nuclear explosion.

Fejoku:

I've read this book which was a product of the numerous studies British anthropologists took upon themselves when they discovered that all measures employed by the British for effective exploitation of Igboland failed.
While it's good to remind ourselves of our uniqueness I think we have to make room to appear less threatening to others. The British know our potential and they fear what our achievement portends for Africa. You see, a very confident young man is always viewed as a threat anywhere especially by exploiters. The least such a young man should do is to extend his fearlessness to affect even those that could easily be his allies when his main enemies should be those exploiters. This is what this thread appears to be although you may see it so.
The British themselves had to build a great Britain comprising neighbouring tribes (nations of Scots, Celts and Welsh) to conquer the world. Rarely do you have any nation irrespective of how gifted they may be enjoy a series of victories without adding other nations to themselves. The Russians did the same and became so large. The USA story is clear to all. Imagine what a Japan-China combo would have been! Even the USA would quake. Now compare the capabilities of Germany with their actual achievement in world politics. Very small compared to their less gifted neigbours. If only Germany was less too proud of themselves like you're encouraging us to do(hope you got the area of comparison). If only the Germans have been less so threatening than they are, they could have merged with smaller neighbouring tribes which will ultimately make them the masters of all Europe.
My point is that we should try to speak of our unique political set up and the never-give-up mindset of an average Igbo man in a way that markets us to others instead of it appearing so intimidating that it creates further hurdles for us. If you don't know, there are lots of other Africans that love our way of life and would want to learn it but the impediment will be this intimidating outlook. Let's learn from the French who despite their historical achievements still appear less intimidating than others. They have less enemies than others and continue to gain from such posture. My critism is strictly constructive and it's my hope that you understood my message.
Haters will still hate no matter what we do but less not give room for further misunderstanding from our admirers.
Udo.

Oh, I totally understand your point here, and I largely agree with you.

Thing is, Igbos being loud, abrasive and appearing to intimidate (as opposed to endearing themselves to their neighbors) is largely a coping mechanism.
When you are surrounded by folks who try to downplay your worth, as well as seek for your extinction, you do all you can to cope and stay alive.
It is the same way African Americans are viewed as loud and annoying by Caucasians in USA
I've watched several documentaries discussing that issue. It was the reason why black folks walk around in a swagger, a sort of showing off.

But in a set up where you are embraced as an equal partner, then you conform with the expectations because you don't have to prove that you're better than rated.

Also note that, those who already view you with suspicion and often second guessing your intentions would find it hard to give you benefit of the doubt once you seem to have changed tact.
In the long run, you ask yourself, "why bother?"

You find out that it is easier to be yourself, than expend energy trying to not stand out.

Another thing is, Nigeria refused to embrace her diversity and use it to her advantage. When Igbos made exploits, it would have been to the country's advantage to project them to the world further, and Igbos in turn, would feel obligated to a country that gave them the platform to shine. It could have been a quid pro quo, and a win win for all parties, but Nigeria failed, not Igbos.

If you treat a partner badly, the partner is obligated to show that you lost a valuable thing. Hence, the magnifying of any exploit or achievement such partner makes.

Finally, why bring yourself low, to satisfy someone else's inferiority?

Every argument has different perspectives, and what I stated here cannot be the best by any means.

Udo.

Igbo run egalitarian society, live and let live. Everyone believes he can be better and makes efforts to be better. When you ask them why they hate Igbo, They will start to bable.

So because an European woman said so
You'll masturbate on it

whirlwind7:


Oh, I totally understand your point here, and I largely agree with you.

Thing is, Igbos being loud, abrasive and appearing to intimidate (as opposed to endearing themselves to their neighbors) is largely a coping mechanism.
When you are surrounded by folks who try to downplay your worth, as well as seek for your extinction, you do all you can to cope and stay alive.
It is the same way African Americans are viewed as loud and annoying by Caucasians in USA
I've watched several documentaries discussing that issue. It was the reason why black folks walk around in a swagger, a sort of showing off.

But in a set up where you are embraced as an equal partner, then you conform with the expectations because you don't have to prove that you're better than rated.

Also note that, those who already view you with suspicion and often second guessing your intentions would find it hard to give you benefit of the doubt once you seem to have changed tact.
In the long run, you ask yourself, "why bother?"

You find out that it is easier to be yourself, than expend energy trying to not stand out.

Another thing is, Nigeria refused to embrace her diversity and use it to her advantage. When Igbos made exploits, it would have been to the country's advantage to project them to the world further, and Igbos in turn, would feel obligated to a country that gave them the platform to shine. It could have been a quid pro quo, and a win win for all parties, but Nigeria failed, not Igbos.

If you treat a partner badly, the partner is obligated to show that you lost a valuable thing. Hence, the magnifying of any exploit or achievement such partner makes.

Finally, why bring yourself low, to satisfy someone else's inferiority?

Every argument has different perspectives, and what I stated here cannot be the best by any means.

Udo.

that shows you're delusional
Are igbos not Nigerians?
Is Azikwe not Igbo?

You have an over bloated ego with absolutely nothing to show for it

theTranslator:
that shows you're delusional
Are igbos not Nigerians?
Is Azikwe not Igbo?

You have an over bloated ego with absolutely nothing to show for it

Yes, asswipe.
Igbos are Nigerians
That's why we fought tooth and nail for 3 years to never be identified as one.
You must believe that everyone occupying this space believe in his heart he belonged here.

I am first an Igbo.
Same way your president puts any Fulani first, irrespective of whichever country the person comes from.
If you're first a Nigerian, then that's your funeral.
I don't have to pander to your whims, belief or expectation.
My ego? Sure it is bloated. Whether I got something to show for it or not, you will never know.

theTranslator:
that shows you're delusional
Are igbos not Nigerians?
Is Azikwe not Igbo?

You have an over bloated ego with absolutely nothing to show for it

Do not misunderstand him. Truly Nigeria failed to utilize the potential of the Igbo people. Imagine the level of trade Nigeria would have controlled in Africa(West and Central) if Eastern region was open for business and supported by the government. The job opportunities would have been enormous for all. The call for secession would have been very low because majority of the youth would have been employed in businesses to even worry about it. Nigeria would have been a manufacturing hub further increasing our control of the whole region. See how a gifted Prof Barth Nnaji was underutilized because of his origin.
The Nigeria most of us thought had a chance if we do it right eventually never really existed. Ever since I realized it, I focussed strictly on Biafra and I know I'm 100% correct in this regard. Those people who still believe in this Nigeria fall into two category with the first being those who still think Nigeria can get it right while the second are those who know clearly that there's no Nigeria but prefer to keep it going so they and their families could continue to live fat from her while millions of their people die in poverty. The number of the first set continue to decrease daily which shows that there's hope for the millions of the poor population. The second set are the willing tools of the colonialists who are used as agents to keep their people in poverty for the benefit of those exploiters. These are the current people controlling Nigeria. No patriot will be in government and send his kids to school abroad. No patriot will prefer to go for treatment abroad when hospitals of world class standard can be built here. Money is never the problem. No patriot will prefer passport booklets of his country be printed outside his country when such can easily be done here. No patriot will be comfortable with minimum wage of workers being less than $100 a month.
The average Igbo man I know is averse to all of the above I mentioned so has been a great loss for Nigeria since they've been out of the leadership position.

Fejoku:

Do not misunderstand him. Truly Nigeria failed to utilize the potential of the Igbo people. Imagine the level of trade Nigeria would have controlled in Africa(West and Central) if Eastern region was open for business and supported by the government. The job opportunities would have been enormous for all. The call for secession would have been very low because majority of the youth would have been employed in businesses to even worry about it. Nigeria would have been a manufacturing hub further increasing our control of the whole region. See how a gifted Prof Barth Nnaji was underutilized because of his origin.
The Nigeria most of us thought had a chance if we do it right eventually never really existed. Ever since I realized it, I focussed strictly on Biafra and I know I'm 100% correct in this regard. Those people who still believe in this Nigeria fall into two category with the first being those who still think Nigeria can get it right while the second are those who know clearly that there's no Nigeria but prefer to keep it going so they and their families could continue to live fat from her while millions of their people die in poverty. The number of the first set continue to decrease daily which shows that there's hope for the millions of the poor population. The second set are the willing tools of the colonialists who are used as agents to keep their people in poverty for the benefit of those exploiters. These are the current people controlling Nigeria. No patriot will be in government and send his kids to school abroad. No patriot will prefer to go for treatment abroad when hospitals of world class standard can be built here. Money is never the problem. No patriot will prefer passport booklets of his country be printed outside his country when such can easily be done here. No patriot will be comfortable with minimum wage of workers being less than $100 a month.
The average Igbo man I know is averse to all of the above I mentioned so has been a great loss for Nigeria since they've been out of the leadership position.

If you need to explain all this to anyone, then that person is either a child, or a rëtarded adult.

I think I know what category that one belonged to.

whirlwind7:


If you need to explain all this to anyone, then that person is either a child, or a rëtarded adult.

I think I know what category that one belonged to.

Yeah you quite correct. He's one of the haters.

Igbos are republicans

Igbo self assurance and self determination is uncharacteristic of so many africans that the british came across and this made them very concerned. They expected Negros that were timid, subservient and insecure but the met people who were never scared to look at them confidently and walk around them with pride.

Too many intellects on this thread...
I'm learning a lot from this platform..

God Bless The Igbo Nation
God Bless Seun for creating Nairaland ..

Notice me inferior tribe

PoloG:
Notice me inferior tribe

Very inferior tribe who thinks highly of themselves when in reality,no one rate them.
I'm sure that clown igboid will be beating his chest in praises like the gorilla that he is smh

Anago55:
Look how deserted this thread is. They just hate and never want good things about the Igbo nation

The thread is deserted because Igbos are an embarrassment no one can be bothered to comment on anymore.

It is now a case of SMH for Igbos and keep silent at their latest childish and embarrassing announcement.

You don't see the idiocy of ejaculating to words written in the 30ties that are not validated by the reality of how Igbos live today? Words that now taunts Igbos as they seem to suggest that Igbos have gone backwards horribly and are only about initial gra gra others soon see through.

Are the Igbo States today Dubai in comparison to others? What exactly stands out about Igbo leaders, in fact some of the worst in Nigeria, to bear out all the supremacy noise you Igbos bore others with daily?

Fact is a lot of people are now just turned off by the empty chest beating of Igbos that reality on the ground never validates.

OneTemplate:


The thread is deserted because Igbos are an embarrassment no one can be bothered to comment on anymore.

It is now a case of SMH for Igbos and keep silent at their latest childish and embarrassing announcement.

You don't see the idiocy of ejaculating to words written in the 30ties that are not validated by the reality of how Igbos live today? Words that now taunts Igbos as they seem to suggest that Igbos have gone backwards horribly and are only about initial gra gra others soon see through.

Are the Igbo States today Dubai in comparison to others? What exactly stands out about Igbo leaders, in fact some of the worst in Nigeria, to bear out all the supremacy noise you Igbos bore others with daily?

Fact is a lot of people are now just turned off by the empty chest beating of Igbos that reality on the ground never validates.

. k

Graysons:
Very inferior tribe who thinks highly of themselves when in reality,no one rate them.
I'm sure that clown igboid will be beating his chest in praises like the gorrila that he is smh

This is the sad reality Igbos, the ultimate empty chest beaters, are incapable of accepting. They don't understand we now live in a visual culture where pictorial or video evidence of greatness/achievements speaks volumes in place of empty noise.

You see the state of Igbo States and you feel like crying for Igbos because it is hard to reconcile the megalomaniac noise they make obsessively in cyberspace with the reality on ground.

These are the same people who parade the worst governors in Nigeria yet make noise Non-stop. Really pathetic.

Igboid:
The Igbo self-assurance frightened the British
.
"True democrats, no one was better than themselves but yet they were somehow better than anyone else. This self-assurance was sometimes a little frightening. The Ibo men and women are so continually in the right and so busy proving that everyone else is in the wrong. They want to learn from us but only such things as may be materially productive as soon as possible. They tolerate us because they need us. They do not look upon us resentfully as conquerors but complacently as stepping-stones. What will happen when they can, or think they can mount it alone and no further use of the stepping-stones, no one can tell."
.
AFRICAN WOMEN: A Study of the Ibo of Nigeria, Sylvia Leith-Ross, page 357, published 1939

Anyone else thinking of Boniface Offokaja? That debate in which he shone and made black Africa proud was just 18 years after this statement was made!

Fejoku:

Do not misunderstand him. Truly Nigeria failed to utilize the potential of the Igbo people. Imagine the level of trade Nigeria would have controlled in Africa(West and Central) if Eastern region was open for business and supported by the government. The job opportunities would have been enormous for all. The call for secession would have been very low because majority of the youth would have been employed in businesses to even worry about it. Nigeria would have been a manufacturing hub further increasing our control of the whole region. See how a gifted Prof Barth Nnaji was underutilized because of his origin.
The Nigeria most of us thought had a chance if we do it right eventually never really existed. Ever since I realized it, I focussed strictly on Biafra and I know I'm 100% correct in this regard. Those people who still believe in this Nigeria fall into two category with the first being those who still think Nigeria can get it right while the second are those who know clearly that there's no Nigeria but prefer to keep it going so they and their families could continue to live fat from her while millions of their people die in poverty. The number of the first set continue to decrease daily which shows that there's hope for the millions of the poor population. The second set are the willing tools of the colonialists who are used as agents to keep their people in poverty for the benefit of those exploiters. These are the current people controlling Nigeria. No patriot will be in government and send his kids to school abroad. No patriot will prefer to go for treatment abroad when hospitals of world class standard can be built here. Money is never the problem. No patriot will prefer passport booklets of his country be printed outside his country when such can easily be done here. No patriot will be comfortable with minimum wage of workers being less than $100 a month.
The average Igbo man I know is averse to all of the above I mentioned so has been a great loss for Nigeria since they've been out of the leadership position.

Brilliant analysis bros!

whirlwind7:


Oh, I totally understand your point here, and I largely agree with you.

Thing is, Igbos being loud, abrasive and appearing to intimidate (as opposed to endearing themselves to their neighbors) is largely a coping mechanism.
When you are surrounded by folks who try to downplay your worth, as well as seek for your extinction, you do all you can to cope and stay alive.
It is the same way African Americans are viewed as loud and annoying by Caucasians in USA
I've watched several documentaries discussing that issue. It was the reason why black folks walk around in a swagger, a sort of showing off.

But in a set up where you are embraced as an equal partner, then you conform with the expectations because you don't have to prove that you're better than rated.

Also note that, those who already view you with suspicion and often second guessing your intentions would find it hard to give you benefit of the doubt once you seem to have changed tact.
In the long run, you ask yourself, "why bother?"

You find out that it is easier to be yourself, than expend energy trying to not stand out.

Another thing is, Nigeria refused to embrace her diversity and use it to her advantage. When Igbos made exploits, it would have been to the country's advantage to project them to the world further, and Igbos in turn, would feel obligated to a country that gave them the platform to shine. It could have been a quid pro quo, and a win win for all parties, but Nigeria failed, not Igbos.

If you treat a partner badly, the partner is obligated to show that you lost a valuable thing. Hence, the magnifying of any exploit or achievement such partner makes.

Finally, why bring yourself low, to satisfy someone else's inferiority?

Every argument has different perspectives, and what I stated here cannot be the best by any means.

Udo.

Couldn’t have said it better even if i tried!

Graysons:
Very inferior tribe who thinks highly of themselves when in reality,no one rate them.
I'm sure that clown igboid will be beating his chest in praises like the gorilla that he is smh

very stupid and inferior people.. Who knows igbos for anything in Africa apart from crime..
Fools