“The enemy of trees is insects; the enemy of human beings is pain. A wall is destroyed by humidity, a person is destroyed by sorrow.”
Just as small hidden forces erode strong things over time, sorrow slowly wears down even the strongest person.
— Traditional Turkmenistan Wisdom, Turkmenistan
Source: Traditional Turkmenistan proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Turkmenistan
Don't sleep in a place so low that a flood can carry you away, and don't sleep in a place so high that the wind can blow you away.
Live with moderation and caution, avoiding extremes in life.
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Stretch your legs only to the length of your blanket.
Live within your means and do not overreach your limits.
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Walk barefoot and the thorns will hurt you.
Ignoring accepted ways of doing things brings painful consequences.
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After the cart is broken, many people will offer advice on how to fix it.
It is easy to give advice in hindsight; foresight is far more valuable.
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If you get burned while drinking hot milk, you will even blow on your ayran to cool it.
Once burned, twice shy — a painful experience makes a person overly cautious afterward.
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The snake hates mint, but the mint still grows at the entrance of its home.
Sometimes one must live alongside circumstances or neighbors one does not welcome.
Traditional Turkmenistan Wisdom
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