If you have ever come into contact with a proverb or a proverb that you have never heard. African phrases In today's article, we bring you 15 of the most well-known ones to explain and discuss with you, the reader! At the end of the text, don't forget to comment on your favorite. Ah, and also, we emphasize that it is very important to learn about the relationship between psychoanalysis and culture, something we have already discussed in articles here on the blog.

Learn 15 African proverbs or phrases that will transform your life with depth and wisdom!

Those who ask questions, cannot avoid the answers.

It is the famous "say what you want, hear what you don't want" that we already know so well in Brazil. This is one of the African phrases that brings a lot of reflection to how we use our words.

There are times when we react emotionally to people and situations, saying thoughtless things. This quote makes us cry out to think before we speak. Not infrequently, we speak with the intention to hurt only to end up hurt by what we hear afterwards.

One lie spoils a thousand truths.

Here we have a 5-word reflection that carries immense depth. In this context, we reflect on the fact that one mistake carries much more weight than many successes. When we talk about honesty, integrity of character, this truth gains extra strength. When we lie once, this is enough for the people around us to classify us as a liar. NotThere is no point in accounting for the truths we have already told.

The miserly man is like a fat ox: he will give the fat only when he is deprived of his life.

Is it really worth keeping so much? This is one of the African phrases that show us how much attitudes we have in life resemble death. There is no use in having material goods if we keep them under lock and key. If you think about it, having things like this is the same as not having them!

He who does not cultivate his field will die of hunger.

On the other hand, the African proverb above does not relieve you of the responsibility to cultivate and accumulate things in life. These things are not necessarily material possessions. For example, it is important to care for each of the relationships that are dear to us. Otherwise, these relationships become unproductive and do not fulfill their function in our lives.

Remember: we are not talking about interest-based relationships here, but relationships that are nurturing for both parties involved!

No matter how long the night is, the day will surely come.

May your heart feel fresher when you read this African proverb. Hope is "the thing with feathers," as Emily Dickinson would say.

Equality is not easy, but superiority is painful.

A recurring theme that appears in many African phrases is equality. However, it is not only about emphasizing the importance of collectivity. It is also about criticizing and warning people against the evils of loneliness. In this context, it is possible to identify superiority as a lonely and dangerous place.

Knowledge without wisdom is like water on sand.

In your reality, you may have met a very intelligent person as a child. However, when that same person grew up and had the opportunity to make a good choice, they made a bad choice.

It is the example of teenagers who have sex education, but still end up having unprotected sex. An unwanted pregnancy appears because two people who had the power to choose made a decision that they knew was bad.

This kind of thing happens because being intelligent doesn't always exempt us from not having wisdom. Here we are talking about just one attitude, but many people have information and don't apply it throughout their lives.

The board is a stranger; if he is welcome, he stays for the night. If not, he leaves the same day.

Everyone, at some point in their lives, has received advice that they didn't think was good enough to heed. Even when we know that the advice was really good, it is natural to put it in a lower place than what we think is best.

Don't forget what it is to be a sailor just because you are a captain.

Remember what we said above about collectivity and the danger of superiority? As we said, this is a theme that recurs in another example of phrases from African culture. Here the idea is: even if you are superior, don't forget what it is like not to be. It is about knowing how to put yourself in the other person's place even though you are no longer in the same position.

Unity is strength, division is weakness.

In the wake of what we said above, we need to be increasingly aware that we are stronger together than alone. One captain does not represent much against 100 subordinates united. As we say here in Brazil, "union makes strength".

You learn to cut down trees by cutting them down.

In this example of African phrases, we have an obvious piece of advice. We learn to do a good deal of things by doing. Obviously, we don't like to learn the consequences of a mistake by making mistakes. In this case, it is better to observe people's lives to learn what can and cannot work.

I want information to enroll in the Psychoanalysis Course .

However, in case you make a mistake, that's okay. One way or another, we really learn when the consequences of a choice are felt on our skin. This goes for both the good and the bad.

A family is like a forest, when you are outside it is dense, when you are inside you see that each tree has its place.

This saying is quite explanatory because we can create in our minds the image that is being evoked. When we look at a forest when we are on the mountain road that takes us to the coast of São Paulo, the green is one. Very rarely can we see what distinguishes one tree from another. In pimp terms, "it's all bush".

However, when we find ourselves hiking, the dimension of the forest is different. The same goes for our family and the family of others. Only those who live the reality know how the dynamics work. In this context, the idea that the neighbor's grass is greener is false.

It happens that we, who are outside the garden, only see the cover of the whole. Those who live on the inside are the ones who know how the band plays.

Don't let what you can't do keep you from what you can.

The commandment is clear: although there are things you can't do now, there are many things you can. Not necessarily the set of things that are impossible for us is greater than the set of things we can do. Besides, the "impossible is just a matter of opinion" because it is possible for us to improve ourselves to be the kind of person who can conquer the impossible.

So it is possible that making a trip to Europe today is impossible for me. However, that is today. Furthermore, today I can research how much the trip might cost, so I can plan what I could do to get that money in 3 years. By doing this, the person I will be 3 years from now will be able to travel and the whole project will no longer be an impossibility.

Marriage is like a peanut; you have to crack it to see what's inside.

In other words, crises are important so that we are able to analyze how strong a relationship is. This proverb is so crystal clear that we don't need to say much more.

Ubuntu: I am what I am because of what we are

We leave to the end what we consider to be the most beautiful of our selection of African phrases. In reality, it is just a word whose meaning we read in a sentence. Once again, the concept of collectivity returns. What I am is defined by all that we are together. How beautiful, isn't it?

Concluding remarks on African phrases and proverbs full of wisdom

We hope we have inspired you with these beautiful African phrases African culture has a lot to teach us, and with these proverbs our goal was to give a small demonstration of that. In order to better understand how Psychoanalysis and culture are important, follow the instruction below! Register for our 100% virtual Clinical Psychoanalysis course now!