Look After Your Mind – Putting Forth the Word
That phrase gives us the origin of the word ‘proverb’, from the Latin pro (put forth) and verbum (word). Proverbs are intended to be little nuggets of wisdom that, some claim, offer knowledge and advice. Additionally, they teach or reinforce morals, state a point of view or offer an argument, aid understanding and, states one website, ‘console or inspire others’.
Some proverbs can also spark more philosophical discussions. For instance, ‘The more laws, the less justice’ could lead to a deep and rich conversation as to its truth, and when it might apply and when it might not.
While all of that may be true with regard to some proverbs, it’s worth bearing in mind that many are both simplifications and generalisations.
This becomes especially important when told to children without giving young learners the critical thinking skills to question them. What are we to make, for example, of ‘A bad excuse is better than none at all’? What message might that send home to a child who accepts it uncritically? One possible interpretation is that it’s OK to offer excuses rather than come clean about a situation. A child admitting that he went round to his friend’s house rather than do his homework for example is more honest than saying his Mum spilt tea on his notebook and ruined it.
Unpicking Proverbs
Three useful techniques for unpicking proverbs is to ask questions, use ‘may be’ and apply ‘sombunall’. This was a term coined by the writer Robert Anton Wilson and it means ‘some but not all’.
So when we are told that ‘A great talker is a great liar’ we might consider that some but not all great talkers may be great liars.
Critical questioning of the proverb may well throw up challenges such as – What do you mean by great? Is the meaning of the word great the same in both instances in the proverb? What else could ‘great’ be taken to mean (for example, influential, charismatic, noble etc.)? Consider some examples of the truth of the proverb? What are some examples where the proverb is definitely not true?
Searching for the importance of proverbs online throws up some interesting justifications for that claim. For instance, with regard to the proverb, ‘A bad person is better than a bad name’, it is claimed to be true because a bad name or reputation spreads quickly, before a bad person ‘even reaches there yet’. Try out the thinking techniques I’ve suggested to probe more deeply or, even better, work with a young thinker to take the proverb apart.
Some other activities to use with children are:
- Search through lists of proverbs and group into categories
- Look for proverbs that contradict one another
- Pick an appropriate topic in the news and find proverbs that can be applied to it
- Find proverbs that you / the child personally find to be inspirational
- Finally, remember that the exception challenges the rule
Steve Bowkett
Main Stage Theatre Company
