I find profound wisdom in proverbs, sayings and quotes and marvel at the way they are so succinct in communicating messages to the reader. Mostly anonymous, they come to us from past generations and across cultures, and speak of the experiences of lives lived and lessons learned. Quotes like proverbs, can make us think more deeply about something.
Each Thursday, I post a Proverb or Saying and a Quote that I find thought-provoking. I hope you will too.
From Africa this week:
“A building of sand falls as you build it.” – Cameroonian Proverb
Aesop once wrote, “In trying to please all, he had pleased none.”
Something to Ponder About
Published by Forestwood
A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word.
Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, a writer and I enjoy photography and crafts, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.
View all posts by Forestwood
Something to Ponder About 
I love meaningful quotes and proverbs. Thanks for sharing these two. Certainly food for thought. Sometimes no matter how hard we try, we get no where in the end. We all have our limits and can only do so much. Sometimes we have to turn to others – or leave behind them or our past – in order to move forward 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Mabel. I do find wisdom in these words. Your words also are very good advice, and sound like you have a depth of emotional experience well beyond your years.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the nice words. I think a lot, love connecting ideas to other ideas, so I guess that’s how my thoughts come out. Looking forward to more meaningful phrases from you soon 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, thank you. More proverbs each Thursday. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
When I was doing my master, I was stuck in a room with people from all four corners of the world. The African would teach me a proverb in Swahili every week, just because it was a way of lightening our moods a bit. Chura anapenda maji lakini sio ya moto – Frog likes water, but not hot water. 🙂
Incidentally – Ivar Aasen, the father of New Norwegian also had a proverb for what Aesop expresses here: Til lågs åt alle kan ingen gjera. (No one can please everyone)
Happy Thursday!
LikeLike
Thanks Tina for those awesome contributions. The Swahili proverb is great. So insightful. The African ones are often like this. Simple words condensed down to the essence of wisdom.
LikeLiked by 1 person