Mizè ka fè makak manjé piman.
“Misery makes the monkey eat pepper.”
When a person is left with no good options, hardship forces them into doing things they would normally never do.
— Traditional Grenada Wisdom, Grenada
Source: Traditional Grenadian Kwéyòl (French Creole) proverb, documented in Fimber Frank, "MYROTE Volume I: Serious Thoughts on Paper" (2022), as reported by NOW Grenada, "Grenadian author captures French Antillean Creole (Patois) in new book" (2022)
More Proverbs from Grenada
No matter how fast the moon runs, daylight will always catch up with it.
Wrongdoing or unresolved matters cannot be outrun forever — the truth or the consequence eventually catches up with you.
Play with puppy, puppy lick your mouth.
Being too familiar or overly friendly with people below your station, or without proper boundaries, invites disrespect.
What is joke for school children is death for crappo.
What feels like harmless fun to one person can be a matter of life and death to another, so consider how your actions affect others.
Two man-crab can't live in the same hole.
Two people of equally strong will or authority cannot share the same position; rivalry between them is inevitable.
When you see your neighbour house burning, take water and wet yours.
Learn from other people's misfortunes and take precautions before trouble reaches your own door.
What you plant is what you go reap.
Your actions determine your outcomes — you receive back what you put into life.