In traditional Igbo society, wisdom and success, whether personal, communal, or generational, was not believed to come from luck, haste, or blind courage. It came from knowing before acting. This Igbo philosophy has been epitomized in a powerful yet often overlooked practice known as Iju Ese.

Today, Iju Ese is casually translated as “asking questions.” But in its original spiritual and intellectual depth, it meant far more than curiosity. It was a disciplined method of inquiry, reflection, and alignment, one that shaped how Igbo people made decisions, solved problems, and built enduring prosperity.

The Deeper Meaning of Iju Ese

While Iju Ese literally means “to ask questions” or “to make inquiries,” it is a demotic (everyday) expression of a more ancient spiritual process known as Iju Aka Ose. In older Afa terminology, this referred to consulting Akasa, what modern metaphysical language describes as the Akashic records.

In Igbo cosmology, this was not an abstract or distant concept. It was well understood in everyday living as Aja Ani, the act of interrogating earthly consciousness itself. Memory, land, ancestors, lived experience, patterns of history, and collective wisdom were all seen as repositories of knowledge. To be deeply curious and ask the right questions was a direct way to tap into these layers of reality in order to extract insight from past events and unseen factors.

As a result, Iju Ese was not idle questioning. It was a sacred act of investigation aimed at revealing hidden truths so that present actions could align with future wellbeing.

Inquiry Before Action

In ancient Igbo life, Iju Ese was the first step before any serious decision. Marriage, migration, trade, warfare, land disputes, spiritual obligations, and leadership choices all began with inquiry. Nothing of consequence was rushed.

A traditional Igbo person was trained, both consciously and unconsciously, to ask:

What has happened here before?
Who has attempted this in the past?
What unseen forces may be involved?
What consequences might arise, not just now, but generations ahead?

These questions were directed at people, elders, diviners, personal observation, and lived evidence. Decisions were made only after empirical findings; what was observed, tested, remembered, and revealed, had brought hidden variables to light.

This process blended spirituality with rational investigation in a way modern systems often separate. For the Igbo mind, wisdom required both.

The Intelligence of Patience and Diligence

One of the most striking outcomes of Iju Ese was patience. Ancient Igbo society did not glorify speed for its own sake. Haste was associated with danger, immaturity, and poor foresight. To act quickly without inquiry was seen as arrogance toward life itself.

Through diligent questioning, people learned to slow down, observe patterns, and respect complexity. This reduced disastrous mistakes; choices that could ruin not only an individual, but entire bloodlines. Many ancestors avoided irreversible errors simply because they paused long enough to ask the right questions.

Over time, this culture of patience produced long-term success. Wealth lasted longer. Families remained stable. Communities developed resilience. Success was not explosive, but it was durable.

Multi-Generational Wisdom and Communal Prosperity

Iju Ese was never a purely individual practice. It was communal by design. Knowledge was shared, debated, and refined through collective inquiry. This ensured that decisions benefited not just the present actor, but future descendants.

Because of this, Igbo success was often multi-generational. Families built legacies instead of short-lived triumphs. Communities advanced together rather than competing destructively within themselves. The act of deep inquiry acted as a safeguard against selfish or short-sighted choices.

The gradual abandonment of Iju Ese, replaced by haste, imitation, and unexamined ambition, has contributed to the decline of this long-term vision. When questions disappear, mistakes multiply. When inquiry dies, repetition of failure becomes inevitable.

To Sum It Up

Ultimately, Iju Ese was a way of life. It trained the mind to be humble before reality, to acknowledge that not all truths are immediately visible, and to respect the intelligence embedded in history, land, and experience.

As today’s way of being in society is increasingly driven by urgency and surface-level thinking, Iju Ese offers a quiet but radical reminder that true success is built by those who ask deeply before they act wisely.

The mystical strength of Igbo people was never magic in the crude sense. It was the disciplined courage to inquire, to listen to life before attempting to command it.