A proverb is a memorable saying that encapsulates a truth or some wisdom. Do you have a favorite proverb?
Share why if you wish.
Asking — and answering — life's interesting questions
A proverb is a memorable saying that encapsulates a truth or some wisdom. Do you have a favorite proverb?
Share why if you wish.
I think my favorite proverb would be: “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.”
However, I have just spent some time reading proverbs from around the world, and it has been very interesting.
Proverbs can vary quite a bit from culture to culture, and while some are universal, others reflect a very specific cultural perspective. For example, here in the United States, there is a saying, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” This suggests, of course, that you need to speak up for yourself and make some noise if you want to get some attention. The Japanese version of this proverb, however, has a quite different conclusion: “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.”
Some of the other proverbs that I found interesting included:
* If your friend is an ass, expect nothing but kicks. (Indian)
* If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. (American)
* The bigger a man’s head, the greater his headache. (Persian)
* The person on shore is always a championship swimmer. (Egyptian)
The closest to a Frederick Douglass quote I love, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress,” is ” You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs.”
“Never attribute to conspiracy what can be explained by incompetence.”
Definitely helps with maintaining sanity.
“If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything at all. ” – My Mom.
Sometimes the question is complicated, but the answer is simple. -Dr. Seuss