“Empty bag can't stand up.”
A person without resources or support cannot be expected to hold themselves up, let alone help others.
— Traditional Virgin Islands Wisdom, British Virgin Islands
Source: Traditional Eastern Caribbean/West Indian proverb, shared regional oral heritage of the Virgin Islands and neighboring West Indies, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from British Virgin Islands
What sweet in goat mouth is sour in his belly.
Something that feels pleasurable in the moment can bring painful consequences later.
Every day the bucket goes to the well, one day the bottom will drop out.
Repeated risky or dishonest behavior eventually catches up with you.
Little by little the bird builds its nest.
Patient, steady effort accomplishes what haste cannot.
One one coco full basket.
Small, steady contributions accumulate into something substantial over time.
Time longer than rope.
Given enough time, the truth and justice will eventually catch up with everything.
Play with puppy, puppy licks your mouth.
Allowing too much familiarity without boundaries invites disrespect.