Bí a wí a ó kùú — Yoruba Wisdom on the Moral Cost of Silence
A piercing Yoruba proverb that dismantles the illusion of safety in silence and challenges fear with the inevitability of destiny. Read why quiet survival is not always wisdom.
Òwúyẹ́wuyẹ̀ wúyẹ́kẹ́ — Yoruba Wisdom on the Power of Silence
“Òwúyẹ́wuyẹ̀ wúyẹ́kẹ́” reminds us that not all truths arrive loudly. Some require patience, tone, and the courage to speak gently when words carry weight.
Bí ikú ilé kò pa ẹni — Yoruba Wisdom on the Hierarchy of Danger
What if the greatest dangers are not outside us at all? This Yoruba proverb reframes survival, strength, and resilience from the inside out.
Ààáfà jóná ẹ̀ ń bérè irùngbọ̀n — Yoruba Wisdom on Poor Judgment and Asking the Wrong Questions
A devastatingly humorous Yoruba saying that mocks foolish questions asked after total loss. Why asking about the beard misses the fire entirely.
Awòràwọ̀ kò kan t’ìṣẹ́: Yoruba Wisdom on Destiny Beyond Prediction
Yoruba wisdom teaches that no stargazer or diviner can truly assign prosperity or poverty. A life ultimately unfolds according to orí, beyond forecasts and fear.
Ìgbà ìpọ́njú làá m’ọ̀rẹ́ — Yoruba Wisdom on True Friendship in Hard Times
Who truly stands with you when things fall apart? This Yoruba proverb reveals how hardship separates genuine friends from convenient company.
Ìgbàgbé kò l’óògùn: Yoruba Wisdom on Forgetfulness and Being Human
Ìgbàgbé kò l’óògùn frames forgetfulness as a shared human condition, encouraging patience, mercy, and realistic expectations rather than guilt or self-blame.
Ẹni à ń torí ẹ̀ kú tí kò fi ojú ire wo’ni — Yoruba Wisdom on Unrequited Sacrifice and Ungratefulness
This Yoruba wisdom warns that devotion to someone who views your suffering with hostility is perilous. It teaches measured loyalty, moral prudence, and ethical discernment.
Ẹni à ń torí ẹ̀ gbàwẹ̀ tó ń j’ọ̀sán — Yoruba Wisdom on Misplaced Sacrifice and Moral Imbalance
This Yoruba wisdom interrogates the pain of misplaced sacrifice, revealing how collective discipline collapses when the very person being protected abandons restraint. It is a caution against blind loyalty and unequal responsibility.