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Proverbs

A promise is a debt

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Updated 5mo ago
by
Brighid McCarthy
View this proverb in Swahili
Ahadi ni deni
It’s a simple and profound truth about human relationships: Making a promise means creating an expectation in others. When we fail to keep our promises, we damage our relationships and our reputation. Next time you make a promise, ask yourself, "Would I sign a contract that said this?"

French
Chose promise, chose due 
A thing promised is a thing owed. 
Russian:
Долг платежом красен, а займы отдачею. 
The beauty of a debt is its payment 
Alternative translation: A debt is beautiful when it is paid off, and loans when repaid.
Latin:
Pacta sunt servanda
Agreements must be kept (an important principle of international law)
Chinese
口說無憑
Spoken words are no guarantee.
English
Your word is your bond

What do you think? Is a promise as strong as a contract?
Sources
French proverb: Chose promise, chose due
Latin Proverb: Pacta sunt servanda 
Russian Proverb: attested to here and in this 1941 USSR propaganda poster
Chinese 口說無憑 Spoken words are no guarantee.
English: Word is bond
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Other proverbs
The pen is mightier than the sword

Meaning 


In this proverb, the sword signifies force and violence, and the pen stands for words. While the sword can conquer with force, the pen can persuade, inspire, enlighten and motivate people. Not everyone has weapons to force other people to do what they want, but everyone has the power to influence the world through what they think, say and write with words.

Silaha za siku hizi ni kalamu na karatasi.
Today's weapons are pen and paper.
 - Swahili proverb

Part of the reason this proverb is true is that words often motivate and regulate how people use violence and force. For example, through law, the words of leaders, judges and juries have the power to jail people or even kill them. Making a fiery speech to an angry mob might cause a violent riot (see Julius Caesar). 

You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war.
- William Randolph Hearst

The proverb also reminds us of the power of nonviolent resistance to bring about lasting political change, a principle advocated and demonstrated by figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela. (Check out Henry David Thoreau's classic Essay, "Civil Disobedience" and Sophocles famous play, "Antigone")

Origin


The phrase "the pen is mightier than the sword" became popular after Edward Bulwer-Lytton used it in his 1839 play "Richelieu: Or the Conspiracy" (page 47).  But the idea likely originated much earlier.

Some sources attribute the proverb to the Story of Ahikar (which is also the source of the proverb "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"). In this edition, the translator was unable to decipher the damaged manuscript and left the sentence unfinished. (Page 171/274) 
(FRAGMENTS)
Watch carefully over thy mouth ...... and make thy heart slow(?), for the word spoken is like a bird, and he who utters it is like a man without ...
... the craft of the mouth is mightier than the craft of ...... 
Could this be the original source of the proverb from over 2500 years ago? You be the judge...

A similar phrase also appears in the Old Testament: 
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.
Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)

And in Shakespeare:
 Many wearing rapiers are afraid of goosequills.
-William Shakespeare Hamlet Act 2, scene II (page 59)

Do you agree that the pen is mightier than the sword? Share your opinions below!

...
Updated 5mo ago
by
Brighid McCarthy
1
Mtoto akilia wembe, mpe
Habari zenu wapenzi wa lugha na hekima! Karibuni tena katika kipindi chetu cha leo cha Methali! Methali ya leo ni “Mtoto akilia wembe, mpe.” Je, unaijua? Kwa walezi wengi, inaweza kuonewa… kali sana, au sivyo? Ina maana gani kwako? Je, unakubaliana nayo? Tushirikiane mawazo. 

Nikisikia nitasahau, nikiona nitakumbuka, nikifanya nitaelewa.
-Mwalimu Amos 

Mtoto akitaka wembe, basi mpe ili aelewe kwanini alionywa dhidi ya kucheza nao. Methali hii inaonyesha umuhimu wa kuwapa watu nafasi za kujifunza kutokana na uzoefu wao wenyewe, hata kama wanaweza kuumiwa (kidogo). Vilevile, hata ukikataa kumpa, labda hatatiii na atacheza nao ukiwa nje. Methali hii inaweza kutumika pia kama onyo kwa mtu anayepuuza ushauri au kusisitiza njia yake. Ingawa ni muhimu kusikiliza ushauri na maonyo kutoka kwa wengine, wakati mwingine tunahitaji kuona matokeo ya vitendo vyetu wenyewe ili kuelewa madhara yake. 

Adhabu ya Asili  (Natural Consequences)

Katika eneo la malezi, methali hii inafundisha kanuni ya Natural Consequences (Adhabu Halisi au Adhabu ya Asili). Adhabu ya asili ni matokeo yatakayokuja kwa sababu ya tabia ya mtoto mwenyewe. Tofauti na adhabu ya kutolewa au adhabu ya viboko, adhabu ya asili hujitokeza bila mlezi kujiingilia. Kwa mfano, fikiria kama mwanako amesahau daftari yake nyumbani. Ungefanyaje? Wazazi wengine wanajibu “Singefanya chochote, maana atahitaji kueleza kwa mwalimu wake.” Wengine wanasema “Ningekimbia shuleni ili kumletea daftari, halafu jioni ningempa adhabu.” Ipi bora?  Jibuni hapo chini… 

Swali: Je, mtoto akilia nyoka utampa?

Sawa tumekubaliana mtoto akilia wembe, mpe. Lakini… fikiria kama mtoto analia kitu cha hatari zaidi— je utakubali? Yesu aliwauliza wazazi: “Mtoto akiomba samaki, je, atampa nyoka?” Akilia nyoka, utampa? Wembe unaweza kusababisha jeraha ndogo, lakini si hatari sana kama nyoka mwenye sumu. 
Wewe kama mzazi, utakubali kiasi gani cha hatari ili ajifunze mwenyewe? Kama anaomba kuacha masomo ili kucheza michezo za simu sikuzote? Kama anaomba kumwoa/kumwolewa na mtu ambaye haumwamini katika umri mdogo? Yaani pia kuna maamuzi muhimu ambayo watoto hawako tayari kujifanyia. 
Je wewe kama mzazi unawezaje kuamua au kutambua kama unapaswa kumwokoa / kumlinda mwanako, ama kama unapaswa kumwachia afunzwe na ulimwengu? Wazazi na walezi wote tunaomba maoni yenu!

Nyoka ana madhara.
-Mwalimu Shila  

Utekelezaji wa methali hii katika maisha ya kila siku

Elimu: Watu hukumbuka walichojifunza kwa vitendo kuliko walichoambiwa kwa maneno. Utafute nafasi za kutekeleza kile unachojifunza.
Malezi: Mpe mtoto uhuru na nafasi za kujifunza kupitia uzoefu. Usimtatulie kila jambo, na usiogope anapofeli, kama hakuna hatari wala madhara ya muda mrefu, maana kufeli ni nafasi ya kujifunza kwake.
Kusikiliza: Ukipuuza maonyo na shauri, usishangaye kuona madhara yaliyotabiriwa.
...

Picha hii imetengenezwa na akili bandia (AI)

Updated 5mo ago
by
Brighid McCarthy
Kuuliza si Ujinga
Watu wengi wanaogopa kuuliza maswali kwa sababu wanahofia kuonwa mjinga. Lakini kuuliza maswali ni njia bora ya kujifunza kutoka kwa wengine. 

Pia kuuliza maswali husaidia wenzako. Je umewahi kusita kuuliza swali kwani ulidhani wengine wameshaelewa... lakini baadaye uligundua hawakuelewa pia? 

Kiingereza
There's no such thing as a stupid question
...
Updated 5mo ago
by
Brighid McCarthy
Takataka ya mtu mmoja ni hazina ya mtu mwingine
Kwa kiingereza tunasema "One man's trash is another man's treasure," maana yake, kilichotupwa na mtu mmoja, kinaweza kutumikia mwingine na kuwa na thamani kwake.

Msemo huu hutumika ili kueleza jinsi mapendeleo ya watu hutofautiana, ama kuonyesha matumaini kwamba wanadamu ni wabunifu katika masuala ya kupanga upya au kuchakata vitu vilivyotupwa na wengine.

Kwa mfano, mjasiriamali Gibson Kiwago, mwanzilishi wa WAGA Tanzania, anachakata betri za laptop ili kuleta umeme kwa nyumba na maduka. Jifunze zaidi kuhusu E-Waste (Orodha ya Kusoma)!

Dhana kwamba thamani ya kitu hutegemea mtazamo wako ipo tangu zamani. Chimbuko cha msemo huu ni methali ya Kiingereza iliyotumika karne ya 17:
One man's meat is another man's poison
Nyama na mtu mmoja ni sumu ya mtu mwengine

Je umewahi kuona thamani katika kitu kilichotupwa na mwengine?
...
Updated 5mo ago
by
Scott M