Much like civilizations across the rest of the world, the Africans also recorded their wisdom and passed it down to their descendants. It is fascinating to note that their teachings are relevant in today’s world too. Here are some of my favorite African proverbs, along with my interpretations of them.
- An empty sack cannot stand up, a full sack cannot bend.
We are all students of life. We should try to seek wisdom by reading books, learning by experience, learning from the people we meet, etc. Our knowledge should not be empty (like an empty sack). That way, we can stand up and face adversity in a prepared manner and have an opportunity to learn from it.
At the same time, we should not become arrogant and assume that we are always correct. We should be flexible enough to mold ourselves when we are faced with facts that challenge the way we think. We should be prepared to bend to become wiser (unlike a full sack).
2. One cannot prepare for the dry season by simply drinking plenty of water.
There are two beautiful teachings ingrained in this proverb. One is the importance of preparation to face adversity. We should prepare by building resilience. We should prepare for unexpected events in life by saving money for emergencies, upskilling ourselves, etc.
The other teaching is about the type of solution we employ. We should build a sustainable solution. In the same way, we cannot solve the thirst for the dry season by drinking excess water, we should reflect and find solutions to our problems that will work long-term. What works on a small scale may not necessarily work on a larger scale, as drinking excess water proves.
3. Two people in a burning house don’t stop to argue.
This is a reminder that our petty differences can be put aside if we unite for a common, important cause.
4. When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.
Wars affect bystanders. When soldiers fight, many civilians also die. Some war-prone zones have relatively less infrastructure investments because a war could potentially damage the infrastructure. Even the potential for war deters progress in such zones.
It is equally important to emphasize that plants, animals, and all other microorganisms in the area also get affected, for no fault of theirs. Hence, as a society, we should strive for peace.
5. It doesn’t take long to get used to a nicer house.
Expectations tend to move faster than reality if left unchecked. As Morgan Housel puts it nicely in this article (the second point in the article on Rockefeller), we are more comfortable today compared to the richest man in the world just a few decades ago. Society has progressed at an astonishing pace. Yet, we have gotten used to it and have taken things for granted. If we reflect on the comforts we have today compared to what was available 100 years ago, we would be grateful and happy.
Do you have any proverbs that resonate with you? Feel free to reach out and share.
The full list of African proverbs can be found here – School_of_life_African_proverbs
About the author: Anirudh Murali is a data scientist based out of India. He likes to learn from everyone he meets and read about diverse topics.
It’s a good article and a nice work. It’s true that the Africans civilization proverbs are relatable to our daily lives 💯.
Just thinking , how people in those days would have came up with this thoughts!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Thiyanesh. Yes, their wisdom is very fascinating.
Nice work Ani, these simple things when followed can bring personal realisation and a greater societal impacts. True that we should be grateful for what we have. Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks a lot Lakshmi!