Proverbs Court

This proverb is not really about rats.
It is about delayed gratification, restraint, sustainability, and the ability to value tomorrow more than today's appetite.

A person can spend every dollar because the money is available.

A business can consume all its profits because the profits are available.

A leader can exploit an institution because the power is available.

A government can consume natural resources because they are available.

A young person can sacrifice education for immediate pleasure because pleasure is available.

A person can destroy a relationship for temporary satisfaction because the opportunity is available.

But availability does not mean permission.
And opportunity does not always mean take it now.
Sometimes the wisest response to an available opportunity is:
"Not yet."🤗

The cat that eats the pregnant rat satisfies today's hunger.🚫
The cat that waits may eat many rats tomorrow.✅️
That is the difference between consumption and stewardship.
And it is one of the most important differences between people who merely enjoy what they have and people who build something that lasts.

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Our lives are deeply connected to the people and communities around us.

This proverb reminds us that no one truly exists in isolation. From the family that raises us to the community that supports us, much of who we become is shaped by our relationships with others. It teaches us the value of community, compassion, responsibility, and recognizing that our well-being is often connected to the well-being of those around us.

This is the kind of wisdom we are preserving in our upcoming book, The Elders’ Voice: African Proverbs, Their Meaning, and the Wisdom to Live By, coming this December.

👍Follow Proverbs Court so you can be among the first to receive our daily proverbs and updates about the book. Proverbs that teach. Lessons that last.

Sometimes, when nobody recognizes your effort, you must learn to recognize it yourself.
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This famous Igbo proverb, presented by Chinua Achebe in Things Fall Apart, speaks about self-appreciation and the courage to acknowledge your own achievement. The lizard makes the great jump and, if nobody praises what it has accomplished, it will praise itself. It reminds us that while humility is important, we should not depend entirely on other people’s applause before recognizing our own hard work and progress.

What have you accomplished that nobody stopped to celebrate? Sometimes, you have to give yourself credit—not out of arrogance, but because you know the effort it took to get there.

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Never underestimate what you choose to ignore today.

This proverb reminds us that the things we dismiss as small or harmless can sometimes become our greatest problems. A small disagreement, a neglected responsibility, a warning we ignore, or a problem we refuse to address may grow until it is too powerful to control. Wisdom teaches us to pay attention before the little stream becomes a flood.

More wisdom like this is coming in our new book, The Elders’ Voice: African Proverbs, Their Meaning, and the Wisdom to Live By, coming this December.

👍Follow Proverbs Court so you’ll be among the first to receive our daily proverbs and updates about the book. Proverbs that teach. Lessons that last.

Before you commit yourself fully to something unfamiliar, first understand what you are stepping into.

This proverb reminds us that you should not rush completely into something before discovering its depth. Whether it is a new business, a relationship, a friendship, a job, or a major decision, wisdom calls for caution. You can test the waters gradually, learn what you need to know, and then decide whether it is safe to go further. Sometimes, one careful step can save you from a much deeper problem.

In life, courage is important, but courage without caution can become recklessness. Follow Proverbs Court so you can be among the first to receive our daily proverbs and the wisdom behind them. And remember, our upcoming book, The Elders’ Voice: African Proverbs, Their Meaning, and the Wisdom to Live By, is coming this December.

👍Follow and Like Proverbs Court to stay connected as we preserve these timeless lessons and bring their wisdom into everyday life.

What you see on the surface may not tell you what is really happening underneath.

This proverb reminds us to look beyond appearances and search for the influence behind what we see. When a bird suddenly begins dancing on the road, there must be something causing the movement. In life, people can behave in ways that make us wonder, situations can change unexpectedly, and events can unfold before our eyes—but wisdom teaches us not to stop at the obvious. Sometimes, the real story is happening somewhere we cannot immediately see.
There is always a “drummer in the bush” behind some of the things we see in life. Before judging the dancer, look for the music.

👍Follow Proverbs Court so you can be among the first to receive our daily proverbs and the wisdom behind them. And if you want to go deeper into the meanings, lessons, and applications of African proverbs, watch out for our upcoming book, The Elders’ Voice: African Proverbs, Their Meaning, and the Wisdom to Live By, coming this December.

When powerful forces clash, the consequences rarely stop with those who started the fight; they often reach the innocent and the powerless.

This is the deeper wisdom behind the proverb. From a global perspective, when two major oil-producing nations fall into conflict, countries far away that have nothing to do with the dispute can suddenly face fuel shortages, rising transportation costs, inflation, and economic hardship. Likewise, when major wheat-producing countries are caught in war or prolonged conflict, nations that depend on their exports can feel the pain through food shortages and higher prices. The grass does not know why the elephants are fighting, but it still gets trampled.

We see the same thing in everyday life. When two powerful people in a workplace, family, community, or organization engage in a bitter struggle, those with the least power often become the ones carrying the burden. Employees can lose opportunities because of a dispute between managers; children can suffer when parents turn their disagreements into battles; and ordinary community members can pay the price when leaders put personal interests above the welfare of the people. Before you enter a battle, remember to look at the grass beneath your feet.

👍Follow Proverbs Court so you are among the first to receive our daily proverbs and the wisdom behind them. And watch out for our upcoming book, The Elders’ Voice: African Proverbs, Their Meaning, and the Wisdom to Live By, coming this December.

Every choice we make today is quietly preparing something for us to experience tomorrow.

This proverb teaches us that life often gives us the results of what we have been preparing all along. The way we treat people, the habits we build, the decisions we make, and the character we develop all become part of the bed we are preparing for ourselves. Sometimes the consequences do not come immediately, but sooner or later, we have to lie on what we have prepared.

An elder may look at a young person’s life and say, “Be careful how you live today, because tomorrow will ask you to sleep on what you prepared yesterday.” If you spend your younger years building trust, showing kindness, working hard, and treating people with respect, those things can become a source of comfort later in life. But if you spend those years destroying relationships, deceiving people, and making careless choices, old age may expose the bed you prepared. The future does not only arrive; in many ways, we prepare it.
So, what kind of bed are you preparing for yourself today?

Our upcoming book, 📖📚 "The Elder’s Voice: African Proverbs, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life", coming this December, will bring together more of the wisdom, proverbs, and life lessons that have guided generations.

👍Follow Proverbs Court so you can be among the first to receive our proverbs whenever we post and to hear more about The Elder’s Voice as we get closer to its release. We post every day at 18:30 West African Time (18:30 GMT).

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard! Kiplangat Arap Cheruiyot, Mohammed Abuna Ali Kotoko, Matthew Oladimeji, Eric Ali Kwesi Ajuik, Kofoworola Lizzy Adebisi, Sowari Francis Peter, El Katif Aladji, Evans Ontita, Rolly Abordo, Kipyegon Langat