What I learned from the First ’’Seminal Readings at ALU’’.

5 min readJul 2, 2021

2nd Version|

Like I was, Never be nervous about the opportunities given by your school or your college. The first time I heard about the Seminal Readings, I felt very nervous and worried due to the fact that I was expecting too many readings. The first thing that came to my mind was that readings are not my thing. But there is the TRUTH behind every expectation.

Before attending the seminal readings at the African Leadership University, I had never read over 20 pages of any book. you can ask yourself that hhhh why Osee? but the only answer I might have for you is that I do not know why but everything have its own route cause. Now, what is the real cause behind my laziness in reading or cultivating the habit of reading books?

In my earlier education(Primary and secondary), my teachers used to be very strict on the school's facilities including books. If I remember very well none could take or borrow a book because the teacher couldn’t allow you that opportunity. Yet, the school’s book stoke was full. I think there was no reading inheritance that was in our teacher. But get me well, this doesn't mean that they did not want to teach me, I hope they all know that I respect them and a lot because they are the ones who taught me how and why to read and write. I think all those were the decision that was being made by the school administration.

Hh!! What about the family? Whenever I hear someone telling me that he/she is passionate about reading books I feel lost. I feel like that because maybe they grew up in the communities where reading was their habit, or may they had some people to look up to and who gave them inspiration.

But above all, what is my standing today? First of all, let me say thank you to the African Leadership University and the person who initiated this idea on have a SEMINAL READING week. Before attending this session, I had a very big and fixed mindset, hh laughable, but that’s how it was. I was expecting a lot of work and boring readings because I have never experienced that before. all those were the expectations.

To be sure, flexibility is not just something that comes intentionally, everyone has to work for it.

The first impression I had was only full of the fixed mindsets. I couldn’t understand the meaning of these topics before: Outliers-Malcolm Gladwell, Republic-Plato(The most Challenging but interesting one), The perils of Obedience-Stanley Milgram, Wretched on the Earth-Fanon, Speaking In tongues-Zadie Smith, African Authenticity and the Biafran Experience by Chimamanda Ngozi. as I said, the Why is Fixed Mindsets.

My feelings and Mindset have changed, Believe me.

Ms Chimamanda(Nigerian Feminist and Pan-African)’s reading has opened my eyes and put my mind into the new way of thinking towards positivity, avoid judgement to anyone but learn to explore who is the person. She also taught me to understand the positives and the negatives of Stereotypes that is greatly the lifestyle we are in today.

Plato’s reading was also the most and most challenging part to even to mean that there, the reading has become a great reading. He went a bit into details and told us how we are like the prisoners tied into the underneath or in the cave but we don’t know that. The people who are able to escape from that prison are the ones who help us to have a clear understanding of the things we can not see.

Ahh, I think I have a lot to say but what I know is that seminal reading is very important in fact, my level of appreciation is endless, I am near to leave this seat but I will talk about Flexibility and Tongues next time. I know that my audience is not one person, but try to be a cornerstone for changes wherever you are. love Seminal reading, develop the reading habit and growth mindset. This is good ground for you to learn. It is now the facilitator's benefits but everyone’s beneficiaries.