“If a tree is not consumed by insects from within, it can live for a thousand years.”
It is internal division, not outside enemies, that truly destroys a community.
— 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.
Traditional Turkmenistan Wisdom
Read more →
Stretch your legs only to the length of your blanket.
Live within your means and do not overreach your limits.
Traditional Turkmenistan Wisdom
Read more →
Walk barefoot and the thorns will hurt you.
Ignoring accepted ways of doing things brings painful consequences.
Traditional Turkmenistan Wisdom
Read more →
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.
Traditional Turkmenistan Wisdom
Read more →
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.
Traditional Turkmenistan Wisdom
Read more →
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
Read more →