Usiruke Karibu Sana na Jua

This proverb refers to the tendency to imagine or dwell on the notion that other people have nicer things...like your neighbor having a nicer lawn. 

The original source of this proverb is Ovid's "Art of Love", a book of advice for men and women about finding and keeping romantic relationships, written over 2000 years ago, about 2 AD:

One lesson from this proverb is to focus more on what you have, ignoring what others may have that is better. Another lesson might be to put your attention on improving your own situation (like watering your lawn) rather than dwelling on the fact that your lawn (or situation in general) is inferior.

An interesting variation on this proverb is: "The grass is always greener where you water."

Similar proverbs from other cultures:

Hindi:

Chinese:

Japanese:

Russian:

Tofautisha na linganisha matunda na pipi. Matunda yameiva, yana ladha halisi, yamejaa virutubisho na vitamini -- kweli yanajiuza yenyewe.

Kwa upande mwingine, mfuko wa pipi unalia “nisikilize!”, kwa rangi kali, na kauli mbiu zinazolipuka *BOOM*! Lakini chini au nyuma ya kinachong'aa, tunajua kwa kkweli pipi ni sukari tupu tu yenye rangi na ladha bandia ya matunda.

Kama nyani, binadamu hupenda matunda kwa sababu yanatupatia nishati pamoja na lishe na virutubisho. Pipi hutoa nishati bila lishe halisi (Kalori tupu). Pipi huiga tunda. Usidanganywe!

Kizuri hakihitaji kutangazwa, maana ubora hujieleza yenyewe. Kama wachumi wasemavyo, “demand” inazidi “supply”. Matangazo yanaweza kutuahidi furaha, uzuri, upendo, mali au heshima. Lakini jiulize, je, inawezekana kwa kweli? Coca-Cola sio dawa ya upendo.

Methali hii inatukumbusha thamani ya ubora wa kweli kuliko muonekeano maridadi. Methali hii hutumika wakati msemaji ana mashaka juu ya mtu anayejisifu au kujivunia kupita kiasi.

Tuwe kama kikapu cha matunda: mwazi na mwema. Sifa hizi zitawavuta wengine kwako — angalau wao wanaoelewa kwamba “Chema chajiuza, kibaya chajitembeza!”

Methali zinazohusiana:
Vingaravyo vyote si dhahabu

Don’t judge ya book by it’s cover
Usihukumu kitabu kwa kava yake (muonekeno)

Appearances are deceptive
Maonekano hudanganya
 
高嶺の花
Hana yori dango
Chakula [ni bora] kuliko maua

Maana yake, afadhali kuridhika na ulicho nacho, badala ya kuiweka hatarini kwa ajili ya kupata kitu kubwa zaidi.

 Methali hii ni ya zamani sana. Chanzo cha methali hii ni kitabu cha kale kiitwacho  "Hadithi ya Ahikar." (Kinajulikana pia kama "Methali za Ahiqar.")

Kitabu hiki kinasimulia hadithi ya mshauri wa wafalme wa kale wa Ashuru na Misri. Inadhaniwa kuwa hadithi hii ilitungwa takribani 600 KK, na kuna nakala iliyochapishwa mwaka wa 500 KK. 

Methali karibu na hii kutoka nchi mbalimbali:
French:

Japanese

Italian

Mnaonaje -- methali hii ni ushauri mzuri? Ni bora kuridhika na kitu kinachopatikana kwa hakika, ama kutafuta kitu bora zaidi kisicho na hakika?

That which draws our attention, gets more attention. 

A wheel that makes noise is more likely to receive oil than other wheels (that also might need oil). We have limited attention, and thus we give our attention to people, projects and problems that stand out. This proverb asserts that there is not necessarily a correlation between the things we give our attention to and the things that actually need our attention.

Another version of the proverb is "the squeaky wheel gets the grease," and though the origin is unknown, American humorist Josh Billings is commonly attributed through his poem "The Kicker" in 1870