Proverbs provide us with wise words, hitherto uttered by generally anonymous people. Uttered ever so succinctly, and so eloquently that a thousand meanings can be revealed in their simple words. General rules for life itself, from every corner of the world.
Each Thursday, I post a Proverb or Saying and a quote that I find thought-provoking.
I hope you think so too.
The strength of the crocodile is the water
South African Proverb
What is a possible interpretation of this proverb?
And the quote this week comes also from South Africa:
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid,
but he who conquers that fear.”
Nelson Mandela
Do you agree with Mandela, a man that has faced fear countless times and yet survived to defeat it?
How do you overcome your fears?
Proverbial Thursday: Wise words from our ancestors, passed down from generation to generation. Best savoured a little a time.
Something to Ponder About
Something to Ponder About 
Mandela was a true inspiration.
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Courage is something I have always admired greatly. Yet here is a recipe for courage that everyone can follow. The method by which that is done is totally individual but interestingly, Mandela takes away the pressure making the development of courage an individual journey. He gives us permission to be afraid and encouragement to persevere. Wonderful words indeed, Peggy.
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Mandela is one person I’d invite for the once-in-a-lifetime dinner for eight.
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I would be overawed if he was at our dinner table. Although I did see a documentary showing his personal side as a bit of a grumpy old man.
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He had a lot of reasons to be grumpy.
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“The strength of the crocodile is the water.” I get that. Out of the water they are more vulnerable just like us when we are not in our element. I had a friend that always said, “you can’t beat a man at his own game” Same thing. We are all stronger in one area than in another. Don’t ask me to sing. 🙂 I feel some fear everyday but still put one foot in front of the other. The other alternative is to stop really living. Good proverbs. 🙂
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I so enjoy reading your comments on the proverbs, Marlene. You always have something through-provoking to say. There is no secret cure all to our problems, as I am sure a woman of your skills and experience already knows, but rather, I think, we all just muddle through as best we can. Some pull it off more confidently than others, some hide it completely, some put it all out there publicly, we all approach life differently. Just as you said, some are stronger, and yes sadly, some are weaker, but we are all there! The crocodile takes advantage of his element to survive, and there is the lesson for us. Find the things we CAN do, and do them well, and let the things we CAN’T do – go by the wayside. On fear: I conquered my fear of public singing by joining an amateur choir that sung in different languages. Amazingly, after loads of practice, my vocals improved, much like exercising a muscle makes it work better. I may have conquered a fear, but it doesn’t make me a great singer. We have to realize our limitations as well as develop our strengths. Thanks again for your comment, Marlene.
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I’m not afraid to sing, I’ve just been asked REPEATEDLY not to do it. It hurts the ear drums of all within earshot. 😦 I sing when I’m alone. 🙂 I’m weak in math but much better with words. I let the accountant do the math and I write the thank you note. 🙂 Hee hee.
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Aww. That is a shame, Marlene. Writing is indeed your strength. I would gladly leave the maths to the Accountants as well. Many bloggers are here because we love words, I think. I feel I have always been drawn to writing and started with penfriends when I was young. Still have a few penfriends who email now and then. When did you first start Writing?
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When I was married to my last husband who would never, ever pick up anything to read it. I could trust that my writing would be safe in that house as I could never speak and be heard. I write for that reason. Not because I’m creative but because I have to express myself somehow. I would never have written anything as a child. It wasn’t safe to express anything. But I have always been a letter writer to this day.
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Oh my goodness. Not feeling safe to express yourself as a child must not have been a good feeling! When you could express yourself without fear of repercussion, I think you would have had a lot to say, Marlene?
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I have boxes of notebooks. 🙂 I’m still very cautious about expressing myself with others.
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Some of inner thoughts are for our ears only. That is entirely appropriate, I think. However, it would be sad if you could not discuss certain things that a close friend or confidante could potentially help you work through.
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I’ve spent a great deal of money on therapy over the years. I try to never burden family or friends. Of course there are some things that I share with my closest family members. They were my lifesavers when things got really rough and were the people that stepped up and helped me put my plans into action.
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I feel like I could get through almost anything with a good friend or partner by my side. Some of my family have used therapists however they don’t always have the answers and often seem to rely on dishing out medication or blaming one’s parents as the cause. That may be appropriate for some but not all.
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It is best to stay out of crocodile infested waters. Give them the respect in their own territory. The same could be said about sharks and surfers. It’s a difficult area but killing sharks is not good. What have they done to deserve that?
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‘Give them respect in their own territory’ – that is some wise words which we could apply to many life situations, Gerard. The world might be a better place with more respect employed for others.
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We prefer to think about not having water being the kryptonite to the crocodile. While we are not sure if they are vulnerable outside of water, it is indeed being in water that they are in their element. So we all have mental “zones” in which we perform best!
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I guess crocs can be dangerous at times out of water. I certainly don’t want to be close to them, unless there is a very strong wire fence between them and us!! Why invite disaster to enter their zone of strength? Yet people – more often tourists go swimming in rivers and water ways in northern Australia, and occasionally, a croc sinks their teeth into human flesh. Just this year, a man was taken by a crocodile. Best keep out of their zone!
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Oh yes some of those incidents made news to us here too. And it was all unwarranted too since it was clearly indicated to be infested with crocs!
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I like the crocodile proverb. It reminds me that we are all dependent on our surroundings and each other. We are stronger together than alone.
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That is a wonderfully positive interpretation, SMS. Thanks so much for contributing your thoughts. We are dependent on our surroundings, absolutely, for every single thing we need. We also need each other. Even reclusive types still need others for something – occasionally, as much as they try to deny it. This proverb is a good metaphor, I think.
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