African Proverbs

I came upon this Yoruba proverb that says, "Anyone who sees beauty and does not look at it will soon be poor". In my opinion, it is a trivial compliment, one meant to woo someone or make someone blush when it is said to them. Imagine you are staring at someone and they suddenly feel uncomfortable and ask why you were staring at them, quoting or just saying this proverb in whichever way would have a way of igniting some sparks and making the person's day.

Another proverb I came upon goes like this, "If you do not agree with the phases of the moon, get a ladder and repair it". This is a Hausa proverb referring to the insignificance of complaining about natural circumstances. There are things in life that are impossible to change no matter how much we try. These things are there to stay and somehow affect the lives of people on Earth. The moon's phases cannot be changed by anyone, it has some significant role which enables the earth to stay on its axis. It also controls magnetic and tidal forces on the earth, plus it tells of seasons and times.

I hope these proverbs are something we all can meditate on and that they cause us to see our world and the people in it in a unique way!