55 African proverbs and the wisdom of the ancients

01/31/2025 by

A world of wisdom is reflected in all those common sayings we tend to take for granted. Look around the world, and it’s not hard to find wisdom wherever you go. So today I thought it would be interesting to look at some African proverbs.

I’ve curated 55 proverbs credited with originating from various parts of Africa, and I thought many of them were truly inspirational.

Take a look at them all and see what you think. See how many of them you can work into your conversations with people over the next few days.

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African Proverbs (1-20):

  1. He who learns teaches.
  2. A tree is known for its fruit.
  3. A man’s ruin lies in his tongue.
  4. It’s not work that kills, but worry.
  5. A thief does not like to be robbed.
  6. Rising early makes the road short.
  7. Hold a true friend with both hands.
  8. Seeing is different from being told.
  9. He who forgives ends the argument.
  10. Don’t set sail on someone else’s star.
  11. A horse has four legs yet it often falls.
  12. The fool speaks. The wise man listens.
  13. A clear conscience makes a soft pillow.
  14. God is good but never dance with a lion.
  15. He who refuses to obey cannot command.
  16. Peace is costly, but it’s worth the expense.
  17. A lie has many variations; the truth has none.
  18. Examine what is said, not who is speaking.
  19. However long the night, the dawn will break.
  20. The teeth that laugh are also those that bite.

African Proverbs (21-40):

  1. When spiders’ webs unite, they can tie up a lion.
  2. Not knowing is bad. Not to wish to know is worse.
  3. If you’re not going to bite, don’t show your teeth.
  4. One who truly loves you loves you with your dirt.
  5. If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.
  6. It’s the calm and silent water that drowns a man.
  7. If you and a fool argue, he succeeds.
  8. Do not try to fight a lion if you’re not one yourself.
  9. If you want to know the end, look at the beginning.
  10. Ashes fly back into the face of he who throws them.
  11. When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground.
  12. For the beauty of the rose, we also water the thorns.
  13. Never beat a snake when you haven’t seen its head.
  14. The lion does not turn around when a small dog barks.
  15. Character is like pregnancy; it cannot be hidden forever.
  16. A wise man never knows all; only fools know everything.
  17. A friend who frowns is better than an enemy who smiles.
  18. If you’re filled with pride, you’ll have no room for wisdom.
  19. When the mouse laughs at the cat, there’s a hole nearby.
  20. As you do for your ancestors, your children will do for you.
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African Proverbs (41-55):

  1. A man does not wander far from where his corn is roasting.
  2. When the roots are deep, there’s no reason to fear the wind.
  3. The rain wets the leopard’s spots but does not wash them off.
  4. Those who pray for rain should be ready to deal with the mud.
  5. Every closed eye is not sleeping, and every open eye is not seeing.
  6. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
  7. When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.
  8. A child who is carried on the back will not know how far the journey is.
  9. In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges, and the foolish build dams.
  10. An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.
  11. The man may be the head of the home, but his wife is the heart of the home.
  12. True teaching is not an accumulation of knowledge; it’s an awakening of consciousness.
  13. People who drink to drown their sorrows should be told that sorrow knows how to swim.
  14. A family is like a forest. When you’re outside, it’s dense. When you’re inside, you see that each tree has its place.
  15. You can outdistance that which is running after you, but you cannot outdistance that which is running inside you.

Enjoyed these African proverbs? Please share them:

So, dear reader, did you enjoy these African proverbs, and was this post worth a few minutes of your time?

If any of these African proverbs resonated with you in some way, then please share this post with your friends on social media.

When you share, everyone wins.

So go on, please share this post now. If you could do that for me, I’ll be ever so grateful and you’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

Thank you.

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23 Quotes by Fyodor Dostoevsky to get you thinking

05/03/2024 by

I first came across Fyodor Dostoevsky many years ago, when my sister suggested I read The Brothers Karamazov. His ideas fascinated me then, so I thought it would be interesting to explore some of his many quotes.

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (1821–1881) was a Russian author, philosopher, and psychiatrist considered one of the greatest literary geniuses of the 19th century.

He is best known for his novels Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, and Notes from Underground.

Dostoevsky’s literature often explores deep philosophical and psychological themes, and his works are considered classics of world literature.

So, here are some of his many quotes to get you thinking today.

Quotes by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1-12):

  1. To live without hope is to cease to live.
  2. The soul is healed by being with children.
  3. If there is no God, everything is permitted.
  4. Realists do not fear the results of their study.
  5. To love someone means to see him as God intended him.
  6. The greatest happiness is to know the source of unhappiness.
  7. Happiness does not lie in happiness but in the achievement of it.
  8. The formula ‘Two and two make five’ is not without its attractions.
  9. Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys.
  10. There is no subject so old that something new cannot be said about it.
  11. Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.
  12. The cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month.

Quotes by Fyodor Dostoevsky (13-23):

  1. Deprived of meaningful work, men and women lose their reason for existence; they go stark, raving mad.
  2. Power is given only to those who dare to lower themselves and pick it up. Only one thing matters, one thing; to be able to dare!
  3. Men do not accept their prophets and slay them, but they love their martyrs and worship those whom they have tortured to death.
  4. Man, so long as he remains free, has no more constant and agonizing anxiety than finding as quickly as possible someone to worship.
  5. It seems, in fact, as though the second half of a man’s life is made up of nothing, but the habits he has accumulated during the first half.
  6. There are things which a man is afraid to tell even to himself, and every decent man has a number of such things stored away in his mind.
  7. One can know a man from his laugh, and if you like a man’s laugh before you know anything of him, you may confidently say that he is a good man.
  8. We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken.
  9. A real gentleman, even if he loses everything he owns, must show no emotion. Money must be so far beneath a gentleman that it is hardly worth troubling about.
  10. Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it.
  11. If you were to destroy the belief in immortality in mankind, not only love but every living force on which the continuation of all life in the world depended, would dry up at once.

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30 Quotes by Sun Tzu to inspire you

05/02/2024 by

We can learn a lot from military men, and women. So, let’s explore some quotes by Sun Tzu.

Sun Tzu was a Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and writer who, we believe, lived during the Eastern Zhou period (771–256 BC).

Sun Tzu is credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thought.

I have the greatest respect for those who served in the military, and, in my experience, such people have a great deal of wisdom to impart, if we’re willing to listen.

So here are 30 quotes by Sun Tzu to inspire you today. We’re all fighting our own battles every day, so we can learn if we’re open to doing so.

Quotes by Sun Tzu. (1-10):

Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.

If your opponent is of choleric temper, irritate him.

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

A good commander is benevolent and unconcerned with fame.

If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near.

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.

Invincibility lies in the defence, the possibility of victory in the attack.

The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general is full of caution.

He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.

Quotes by Sun Tzu. (11-20):

He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.

Victory usually goes to the army, who has better trained officers and men.

Know thyself; know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

If ignorant of both your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.

There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.

Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy.

He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.

Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.

Quotes by Sun Tzu. (21-30):

Secret operations are essential in war; upon them, the army relies to make its every move.

When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.

To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.

Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.

If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbids it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler’s bidding.

Of all those in the army close to the commander, none is more intimate than the secret agent; of all rewards, none more liberal than those given to secret agents; of all matters, none is more confidential than those relating to secret operations.

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Quotes of Wisdom: Here are 30 to motivate and inspire

12/17/2023 by

Dear Reader, Have you been searching for some quotes of wisdom?

Short quotes that you’ll easily remember? Words of wisdom to inspire you to be all you could be?

We all need a little inspiration occasionally, don’t we? Certainly, I do.

Well, here are 30 of the best quotes of wisdom you’re likely to read today.

You’ll love them, so see how many of them you can work into your conversations today.

Quotes of wisdom (1–10):

  1. Do no harm; take no crap.
  2. You’ll get what you tolerate.
  3. Your only limit is your mind.
  4. A wise man once said nothing.
  5. You’re as perfect as the next person.
  6. You grow through what you go through.
  7. Confidence is silent; insecurities are loud.
  8. Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.
  9. Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.
  10. Mindset is what separates the best from the rest.

Quotes of wisdom (11–20):

  1. No response is a response, and it’s a powerful one.
  2. If you don’t define who you are, someone else will.
  3. Pandering to people’s preferences rarely ends well.
  4. Argue with a fool, and you’ll have two fools arguing.
  5. Life lessons will be repeated until they are learned.
  6. Just because it looks genuine doesn’t mean it’s not fake.
  7. If you’re going through hell, walk as if you own the place.
  8. You’ll have my loyalty if I have no reason to question yours.
  9. No is a complete sentence. It doesn’t require an explanation.
  10. People will inspire you or drain you. Choose your friends wisely.

Quotes of wisdom (21–30):

  1. Silencing people is not the same as winning hearts and minds.
  2. It’s the ones who are against you who believe in your power the most.
  3. Sensible people will accept some incredibly silly ideas without question.
  4. It’s not what happens to you; it’s how you react to what happens to you.
  5. We live in an age when everyone knows it’s not true, but few dare to say so.
  6. Just because it’s dismissed as a conspiracy theory doesn’t mean it’s not true.
  7. Fools and fanatics are always so certain, yet wiser people are full of doubts.
  8. You can do 100 things right, but the only thing others will notice is your one mistake.
  9. The question is not whether you have the time, but whether you’re willing to allocate the time.
  10. A first-rate version of yourself is always better than trying to be a second-rate version of someone else.

Please share these quotes with your friends:

Quotes of WisdomIf you found these quotes of wisdom inspiring and interesting, then please share this post on social media with your friends.

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50 of the best quotes of wisdom that’ll make you think

11/01/2023 by

best quotes of wisdomDear Reader, If you’ve been searching for the best quotes of wisdom, then look no further.  Today, I have some real gems for you.

We all need a little inspiration each day, don’t we?

So today I offer you 50 of the best quotes of wisdom to really get you thinking. Enjoy them all.

Best quotes of wisdom (1-10):

  1. Hate is fear’s ugly sister
  2. You can’t argue with stupid
  3. Old ways don’t open new doors
  4. Be humble. You could be wrong
  5. Wisdom is knowing you know nothing
  6. Happiness equals reality minus expectations
  7. We must do what is right and not what is easy
  8. Follow your heart but take your brain with you
  9. No response is a response and a powerful one
  10. Life is a great adventure or it’s nothing at all

Best quotes of wisdom (11-20):

  1. The silent majority is irrelevant
  2. To change your life, change your thinking
  3. If you want respect, you must show respect
  4. You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do
  5. Judge people by their questions, not their answers
  6. A fact is a fact, regardless of whether you believe it
  7. It’s not the years that do the damage; it’s the weekends
  8. What you tell yourself daily will lift you up or bring you down
  9. You can’t judge someone unless you’ve walked two miles in their shoes
  10. The fool does not think he’s wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool

Best quotes of wisdom (21-30):

  1. Always have a sense of purpose
  2. Never offer your enemies an open goal
  3. The incentives will dictate the outcome
  4. We are the sum total of our experiences
  5. Not everyone will care as much as you do
  6. Mistakes are simply lessons to be learned
  7. Nothing’s free. For everything, there’s a price
  8. Never give power to people you cannot trust
  9. Defend what matters to you or you will lose it
  10. The choices we make dictate the quality of our lives

Best quotes of wisdom (31-40):

  1. Life’s what you make it
  2. You can’t train experience
  3. Never underestimate people’s gullibility
  4. Define who you are or someone else will
  5. Successful selling starts with warm leads
  6. A bad attitude will never win hearts and minds
  7. Pandering to people’s preferences rarely ends well
  8. We all make a living by selling something to someone
  9. Those who seek to control the language aim to control the debate
  10. There’s no elevator to success. You must climb the stairs, one by one.

Best quotes of wisdom (41-50):

  1. You’re as perfect as anyone else
  2. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself
  3. Do more of what makes you happy
  4. Live now, for you’ll be a long-time dead
  5. Giving is easy, but taking back is difficult
  6. Enjoy today, for tomorrow is promised to no one.
  7. You can get more money, but you can’t get more time
  8. Just because it looks genuine doesn’t mean it’s not fake
  9. Prepare now and you’ll be ready when opportunity knocks
  10. People have political power when they have numbers on their side

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Best Quotes of WisdomDo you agree that these are the best quotes of wisdom? Did you find them inspiring and interesting? I do hope so.

If any of these quotes resonate with you, then please share this post on social media with your friends.

When you share, everyone wins.

So go on, please share this post now. If you can do that for me, I’ll be ever so grateful. You’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

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