African proverbs about respect

A foot cannot smell where it is going, and may one day carry you to the door of someone you once turned away. The proverb is a call to be hospitable to travelers.

A sharp tongue produces what no bull could: humiliating words that start quarrels. Careless words can begin feuds that last long after the conversation ends.

A face is the first thing people see, but it's the least reliable way to judge someone. Character shows itself more slowly, and it's worth the wait.

While the cow lives, its milk is taken for granted; its worth is seen only once it is gone. The proverb speaks of people recognizing, too late, how much someone gave to their lives.

Words leave no visible mark like a blow, so it's easy to underestimate them. Speech, though it has no substance, can do real and lasting harm.

Helping an enemy up may cost you your advantage for the moment, but it can also be how an enemy stops being one. Grace given where it isn't owed can change the relationship itself.

Rank at home doesn't travel with you. Elsewhere you're just another guest, bound by someone else's customs, so be humble wherever your usual standing doesn't apply.

The proverb links honoring those who have achieved greatness with achieving it oneself. Showing respect to the great is presented as preparing one's own way to the same standing.

Real grief doesn't pour from one eye only. That's the giveaway for sympathy that is staged rather than felt: pretending to care without actually caring.

A leopard moves quietly because it is calculating, not because it is afraid. From outside, the same behavior can mean opposite things, so don't mistake someone's calm for weakness just because it isn't loud.

A small or young lion is still fully a lion. Don't dismiss anyone's worth or potential just because they haven't reached full size yet.

Turning your back on someone is a sign of contempt, and no way to answer a kindness. The proverb says that gratitude is owed and must be sincere.