“By the time the fool has learned the game, the players have dispersed.”
Being slow to understand or act often means missing the opportunity entirely.
— Traditional Guinea-Bissau Wisdom, Guinea-Bissau
Source: Traditional Guinea-Bissau proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Guinea-Bissau
Singing 'Halleluia' everywhere does not prove piety.
Loud public displays of religious devotion do not necessarily reflect genuine faith or character.
Saying that it's for her child, she gets herself a loaf of bread.
People sometimes use others, especially children, as a convenient excuse to serve their own wants.
What one hopes for is always better than what one has.
People tend to imagine that what they lack or wish for is more satisfying than what they already possess.
No one tests the depth of a river with both feet unless he is prepared to swim.
Only commit fully to a risk once you are ready to face its full consequences.
If all seeds that fall were to grow, then no one could follow the path under the trees.
Not every attempt or opportunity should succeed; some failure keeps balance and order in life.
The stomach has no holiday.
Basic needs such as hunger never pause, no matter the celebrations or circumstances around you.