“Wood may stay ten years in the water, but it will never become a crocodile.”
No matter how long circumstances are endured, a thing's true nature does not change.
— Traditional Congo Wisdom, DR Congo
Source: Traditional Congolese proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from DR Congo
The nuts from a palm tree do not fall without dragging a few leaves with them.
Every significant action causes some collateral effect; nothing important happens without consequences.
No matter how full the river is, it still wants to grow.
Ambition and desire for more have no natural limit, even for those who already have plenty.
Do not cut off the monkey's tail before it is dead.
Do not act on an outcome before it is certain; finish the task fully before celebrating or moving on.
Pride goes only as far as one can spit.
Arrogance has real limits; boasting cannot carry a person further than their true ability.
The iron never takes advice from the hammer.
Those who are constantly struck down by hardship rarely trust the one causing it, however well-meant the lesson.
Little by little, the bananas grow.
Patience and steady effort over time bring results that cannot be rushed.