The Case Against Proverbs
On proverbs and counter-proverbs
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Dear Bolu,
If you were hoping to see an argument against one of the books of the Holy Bible, I'm afraid this is going to be a disappointment. While it won't be entirely correct to say that my thoughts articulated herein have nothing to do with The Book of Proverbs, I can't very well say they do. As a collection of proverbs, it has done nothing wrong and it is not the accused in this juryless trial. The case I lay before you simply regards the general nature of proverbs and their use—nothing more, nothing less.
You probably know what a proverb is. It is not as uncommon a word as "uncommon" so the odds are that you know what it means. However, there is an often alluring temptation to refer to proverbs as idioms and vice versa. To be sure we are on the same page (or wavelength if you are listening to the audio version of this accusation), I'll throw some light on the difference between both words.
Idioms are idioms and proverbs are proverbs. That's not exactly helpful, is it? If someone gave you a similarly useless response in a survey or a test, you may have a fit or get ticked off. Those last words were idioms that essentially mean "to get angry". You see, idioms tend not to have literal meanings. You usually can't interpret them using the meaning of each word and their meanings are established by usage over time.
Proverbs, on the other hand, are sayings that are usually suggestive of some commonly accepted truths or pieces of advice. They can be interpreted literally and an example would be, "a stitch in time saves nine" or "honesty is the best policy". Again, you probably know what the differences are. However, as the chief prosecutor in this case against proverbs, I deem it necessary to make crystal clear to all and sundry, the nature of the accused. Now that that has been established, I will now proceed to make my case.
Sometimes you have to play the role of a fool to fool the fools who think they are fooling you.
-Pete Edochie [Source: rosebena.com]
There is a tendency to associate the use of proverbs with wisdom. It is not an unfounded tendency; after all, proverbs by definition, are carriers of truths. However, we seem to ascribe too much profundity to the words of people if they spice it with just enough proverbs. Sometimes, they may have said wise things but other times, they may have spat out the most ridiculous words.
Someone could spew a lot of nonsense, cap it with, "a word is enough for the wise" and you would consider reconsidering what they just said. You'd try your best to reassure yourself that you are wise by reassessing their statements with even more care and ensuring that you missed out on nothing. "Am I really foolish to go against this advice?" It could also cause you to make forced connections or derive aberrant interpretations from stupid ideas. A sprinkle of a proverb is enough to lend weight to people's otherwise, faulty arguments.
Proverbs should be mere expressions of ideas but oftentimes, they play a bigger role than that. If I told you that Adeola, who lives down the road, will never change his habit of kicking any PET bottle he finds in his path as if to imitate Patrick Schick's worldie at the Euros, you may believe otherwise. You may say, with good reason, that it's not hard to learn to look the other way when he feels the urge to strike a bottle. However, if I reinforce my statement with, "my people say that a leopard never changes its spots", you may get slightly swayed by that fundamental truth—by that proverb.
This is not to say that proverbs belong in the trash (or on the road for people who think it acceptable to dispose of waste materials on the highway). Proverbs are useful, of course. They can serve to help us see a clearer picture of a thought or the significance of an idea. They are nice to have but they are equally deceptive. As such we should be careful to use them and alert when we encounter them in a conversation.
Proverbs don't make what you say any more sensible than it already is. The perfect proof of that is the fact that there are proverbs and what I like to call, "counter-proverbs". Counter-proverbs have an intuitive definition so you can probably guess what they mean. They are proverbs in their own right but they can nullify the message of another proverb. Proverbs and counter-proverbs come in pairs, as such, one counters the other. I'll give an example to illustrate.
Say you got a job offer that would require you to do ten or so pushups every day. Say you aren't quite sure of the other modalities of the job and you came to me for advice on whether to take it or not. I could give you a plethora of reasons encouraging you to jump on the offer without finding out the other aspects of the job. I could say it would improve your fitness and end my admonition with the proverb that says opportunity comes but once. You could meet someone else and they would advise that you examine the other aspects of the job and finish with the proverb—a counter-proverb to mine—that says look before you leap.
We have both used proverbs to substantiate our very different ideas. It would be unwise to hinge your decision on either proverb and best to consider the reasons we gave for what they were. We fail to do this sometimes. We tend to judge an argument more favourably if it comes along with a proverb, especially if it is from the mouth of an older person. Truly there is usually wisdom in their words, but merit should be given without recourse to proverbs. Saying a proverb really does not make for valid reasoning or justify any plan of action.
Ah, we even tend to glorify proverbs, more so if we are hearing them for the first time and if they are delivered with folded arms and an air of oomph, accompanied by the shaking of the legs or head, sandwiched between deep sighs, and infused with phrases like "the elders say" or "a wise man once said". To be fair, some proverbs are indeed nice. Some are gems and tantalizing to hear. But I think that is where our affection for them should stop. They shouldn't be seen as signs of wisdom in our arguments or anything of that sort. They should be appreciated, yes, but they should not be acknowledged as the building blocks of or the finishing touch to a construct.
A useful exercise you can incorporate into your worldly affairs is to think of a counter-proverb to any proverb you stumble on. It doesn't even have to be an actual proverb. A leopard can't change its spots, yes, but a snake can shed its skin. There are many useful observations in life that can lend themselves to nuggets of wisdom. It's fun and it can make for interesting conversation loops. It would also make you less impressionable when someone shoots a proverb your way.
Mere expressions. Proverbs should be mere expressions, and nothing more. They don't make you wise, heck you could cram them! Use them, yes, but not to justify your opinions. And when you encounter them, take heed lest your judgement gets swayed by their influence. It is on this note that I rest my case.
Fin
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Write you soon, merci !
- Wolemercy