“The bee that is forced into the hive will not produce honey.”
Work or cooperation extracted by force rarely bears good fruit; willingness matters more than coercion.
— Traditional Eswatini Wisdom, Eswatini
Source: Traditional Eswatini proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Eswatini
Pumpkins ripen for those who have no pots to cook them in.
Good fortune often comes to people who are not expecting it or are not yet ready to receive it.
Traditional Eswatini Wisdom
Read more →
Hands wash each other.
Help those who help you; kindness given is kindness returned.
Traditional Eswatini Wisdom
Read more →
A tree that gives you shade should not be fouled.
Do not turn against those who have helped you, or make needless enemies — you may need their shelter again.
Traditional Eswatini Wisdom
Read more →
The child who does not cry dies on its mother's back.
Those who stay silent about their troubles may suffer and never receive the help they need.
Traditional Eswatini Wisdom
Read more →
Hope does not kill.
Holding on to hope has never harmed anyone; stay optimistic even when things look lost.
Traditional Eswatini Wisdom
Read more →
Refuse to be told, and you will learn by the scar.
Those who ignore the advice of people who know better will learn the same lesson the hard way.
Traditional Eswatini Wisdom
Read more →