“Whenever you play with oil, some will remain on your fingers.”
Involvement with something, good or bad, inevitably leaves its mark on you.
— Traditional Liberia Wisdom, Liberia
Source: Traditional Liberia proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Liberia
One single finger cannot pick a louse.
Unity is necessary — no one person can accomplish everything working alone.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
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One tree cannot make a forest.
Individual effort alone cannot build what a whole community builds together.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
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It is better to fall while sitting than to fall while standing.
A person who starts from humility risks far less than one who falls from a position of pride.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
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Teeth and tongue can fight but they will never stop working together to eat.
Even those who quarrel must keep cooperating because they depend on one another.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
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Drop by drop fill a gourd.
Small, steady contributions accumulate into something substantial over time.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
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No matter how far a hand wanders, it always lands on the stomach.
Whatever a person does, basic needs and self-interest eventually bring them back home.
Traditional Liberia Wisdom
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