Madagascar Quotes and Proverbs (Part Two)
This is a continuation from The previous Madagascar Quotes and Proverbs article – it’s a collection of some of the most delectable and wisdom communicating sayings from Madagascar.
Once again some of the credits here go to (History of painters, Phrase Mix).
In the last article we touched African, Chinese and Russian proverbs specifically, in this post we’ll touch some of the most popular proverbs all around the world. So kicking us off will be:
- Two wrongs don’t make a right
Meaning: Revenge does not solve any issues that arise from a situation it only compounds issues or achieve nothing.
- When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Meaning: Let the behaviour of the people around teach you what you need to do whenever you find yourself in a new place or environment.
- When the going gets tough, the tough get going
Meaning: Tough times don’t deter tough people from pressing into whatever they set out for regardless of what appears on the road to the intended target.
- No man is an Island
Meaning: Everyone needs help and cannot survive alone no matter how strong they may seem. You need someone else.
- People who live in glass houses should not throw stones
Meaning: It is unwise to be a critic of other people’s actions and when yourself have weaknesses and issues to fix.
There you go, I’m sure that we’re familiar with quite a bunch of those or primarily all, so let’s delve into the wisdom of the Malagasy people once again… Issues of collaboration, the essence of life, relationships are running themes within the core of these proverbs:
- Cross in a crowd and the crocodile won’t eat you.
Meaning: You are protected when in the midst of a multitude
- People are like eels in the water, they wander this way and that. — Madagascar Proverb
Meaning: People tend to change and are not always constant in what they want to do. They are not always consistent to keep to the quality of their declarations.
- All who live under the sky are woven together like one big mat. — Madagascar Proverb
Meaning: Everyone in this world is connected to another person. We should treat people we met as well as we can.
- Do not treat your loved one like a swinging door: you are fond of it but you push it back and forth.
Meaning: Loved ones should be treated with care and kindness. They should be treated with utmost kindness and reverence. Respect their feelings even though you know they have the capacity to bear and forgive you
- Life is a shadow and a mist; it passes quickly by, and is no more.
Meaning: Moments and phases in life quickly pass by, it is important to make very good use of them while it lasts.
- A man who lets his problems get the better of him is like the man who divorces his wife the first time she makes him angry.
Meaning: Problems are an essential part of life. They come and go, stand strong and stay close to your beliefs.
- Greet everyone cordially when you don’t know who your in-laws are going to be.
Meaning: Make it a practice to treat people well, there should be no excuse for disrespect and bad-treatment. The word is small and you might need the last person you treated badly in a critical moment soon enough.
- A chicken that hatches a crocodile’s eggs is looking for trouble.
Meaning: Mind you business and find your place. Be focused on who you are and the things that ultimately relate to you. To put your focus elsewhere is to look for problems.
- Better to lose a little money than a little friendship.
Meaning: Relationships are the lifeblood of the earth and the world. They should not be equated and replaced by money because of its power to acquire possessions. A human life is more valuable than a thousand possessions.
- Living is not a reward and dying is no crime.
Meaning: Find your purpose and fulfill it. Your life is for a purpose and death is certain, there is no good or bad in life or death. The good or bad in it is dependent on how life was utilized before death
- Better to be guilty in the eyes of men than in the eyes of God.
Meaning: God is king and has power over men. If you hear His voice and know His ways it is better to obey it at the risk of disobeying men. You can appease a man and track him in his anger. You can’t see God and easily track Him in his anger.
- Those who rush things too much, without reflection, can be surpassed by those who take their time.
Meaning: Patience is slow and safe. It helps you see the full picture. Speed may make you see only the advantages or disadvantages at the first glance. Meditate before running. You might save time and life.
Click here to read Madagascar Quotes and Proverbs (Part One) or Click here to read Madagascar Quotes and Proverbs (Part Three)
