Iteriba | Nkwanye ùgwù
- Everyone desires respect. The body yearns for a little bit of it (Owo die die laran fe). Respect is a two-way street, a mutual exchange that begins with self-respect.
- Self-respect is not arrogance but a healthy acknowledgment of your worth. Saying you know your worth or limits is not an insult (Mo mowon ara mi, kì í se èébú).
- Those who conduct themselves with dignity are more likely to be treated with dignity. Those who respect themselves are respected [Onye kwanyere onwe ya ugwu, a kwanyere ya ugwu].
- True respect is not demanded. It is earned naturally through good deeds and honorable character. When someone sees a good person, they show them respect and honor [Mmádụ̀ hụ́ ónyé ọ́má, ọ́ bọ́ọ́ úgwú].
- Selfless acts attract respect. One cannot be selfish and expect to be honored. (A kì í láhun níyì).
- Be true to your authentic self to earn the respect you deserve. If the leopard doesn’t act the part, it will be regarded as a cat. (Bí ẹkùn ò bá fe, èse là ńpè é).
- The elderly do not drag themself on the floor (Agba o ki fi a ra e wo ile). They act with dignity, knowing that they have outgrown some things.
- For a child’s food can still fit in an elder’s stomach, but a child’s ring can’t fit an elder’s finger (Oúnjẹ ọmọ kékeré a máa wọ àgbà nínú; òrùka ọmọ kékeré ni kì í wọ ágbá lowo).
- More honour is ascribed to the day an elder dies than the day an elder is rubbished (Ọjo àgbà-á kú sàn ju ọjo àgbà-á te).
- May elders be celebrated rather than dishonored. May the elder’s head have honor rather than their head be destroyed (Orí àgbà-á níyì, ó sàn ju orí àgbà-á fo lọ).
- An elder who doesn’t have shame is like a one-eyed person, with the eye centered at their forehead (Àgbà tí kò nítìjú, ojú kan ni ìbá ní; ojú kan náà a wà logangan iwájú-u re). A cyclops, in short.
- Respect yourself. It is the elder that belittles themselves before the youth that the youth abuse (Àgbà tó fi ara-a re féwe lèwe ḿbú).
- It is the elder who abuses the youth that the youth abuse (Àgbà tó bú èwe lèwe ḿbú).
- An elder who abuses a child is begging for insult. (Àgbà tó bú ọmọdé fi èébú rẹ tọrọ).
- If you disrespect the small pot, its content will overflow and extinguish the fire [Elelia nwa ite, ya agbonyuo oku], same with the outburst of an abused youth.
- Anyone old enough to be one’s parent should be accorded the level of respect one will give a parent. When one’s step-mother is older than one’s biological mother they should also be called mother (Bí orogún ìyá ẹní bá ju ìyá ẹni lọ, ìyá là ńpè é).
- Out of respect, you ascribe priority seating to the elderly. If an elder finds no place to sit, a younger person is compelled to volunteer their seat (Bí àgbàlagbà kò bá ríbi jókòó, gbédìígbédìí a gbé ọmọdé).
- Respect and maturity earn you a seat at the table. A child who washes their hands well eats with the elders. [Nwata kwọọchaa aka, ọ soro okenye rie nri].
- No matter how rebellious a child is, even if they think they have overpowered their parents, they will still rely on the grace and family name of those same parents. A child who throws his father to the ground in a battle will still be covered by the father’s robes [Nwá tí rì nná yá n’àlà, úwé nná yá gá-ēkpūchị̀ yá].
- Even if you keep acting superior, acting superior, you won’t be superior forever (Ṣàgbà-ṣàgbà ò níí sé àgbà títí láí). The young shall grow and one day, they will have the power to do and undo.
- Be respectful to others less privileged than you, for you contributed nothing towards your looks, height, brilliance or family pedigree. It is only a tall person without introspection that will look down on those shorter than them (Àgùnbániro ní ńfojúdini).
- Honoring those who have achieved more than you opens doors for you. A person who pays respect to a king paves the way for their own greatness [Onye fee eze, eze eruo ya aka].
- However, respect yourself and avoid sycophancy. You cannot, because you want to eat beef, call a cow “brother”. (Ẹ kò le torí pé ẹ fẹ́ jẹ ẹran, kí ẹ pe málùú ní brọ́dà).
- When a revered king misbehaves repeatedly, at some point you will mask your face with a basket just to look him in the eye and speak your mind[Asọkata eze anya, e kpụrụ nkata n’isi gwa ya okwu].
- For when a deity begins to abuse its position, those who made it will show it the wood it was carved from [Mgbe arụsị na-adị ike ma na-anya isi, anyị na-agwa ya osisi e ji kpụrụ ya].
- Disobedience is the foremost type of disregard (Àìgboràn, baba àfojúdi), so count the cost before calling the bluff of someone in authority.
- If a subject wants to get in trouble, he will say what can the king do? (Bí ìlàrí bá fee te, a ní kí lọba ó ṣe?). Well, a warning shot may be what is required to get you to respect the king.
- If a snake does not show its venom-injecting fangs, children will toy with it [Agwọ emeghị nke o ji bụrụ agwọ, ụmụaka achịrị ya hie nkụ].
- A lizard that disregards a python will find itself in the python’s tummy. (Alángbá tó fojú di erè, ikùn ejò ni yó bàá ara-a e).
- Beware of surface-level respect that is tied to your position or connections. Don’t be like the dog who felt people were afraid of him, not knowing that it was the dog’s owner that they feared (À ḿberù alájá, ajá ṣebí òun là ḿberù).
- Neither get puffed up by grand titles. Calling someone ‘Mother of the Compound’ is simply a sign of respect; there is no mother in the compound who does not have a name (Àpọ́nlé ni “Ìyá-a Káà”; ìyá kan ò sí ní káà tí kò lórúkọ) and if you take the privilege for granted, they will call you by your government name.
- Even seemingly insignificant things deserve your respect. Out of respect, a chicken is cut with a knife, not because it cannot be torn into pieces with bare hands [Ugwu ka eji eji mma abo okuko, obughi na agaghi ejinwu aka sekaa ya].
- When offered mushroom, one eats it out of courtesy or respect, not because the mushrooms are overtly sweet [Ugwu ka eji eri ero, obughi na ero atoka].
- It is best to stay where you are respected rather than where you are treated with disdain. For we throw stones at vultures in some regions; it’s where we know the value of a medicine that we use the medicine for good (Òkò là ńsọ sí gúnnugún níyà míràn; ibi a gbé mọgún la ti ńṣegún lóore).
- Sometimes, you have to ignore a disrespectful situation to make progress in life and achieve your goal. For the back of the head hears no evil, a turned back doesn’t acknowledge mockery (Ìpàko ò gbo ṣùtì, ìpehìndà ò mọ yege yíye).
- Humility is the foundation of genuine respect, and everywhere is a place for respect (Ibi gbogbo nile owo).
- Live and let live. Coexist peacefully with mutual respect for each other’s space and rights. Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch; whichever says the other should not perch, may its wings fall off [Égbé bérē úgò bérē, ǹké sī íbé yá ēbélà, ṅkú kwápụ̀ yá].
Bible verses to ponder
- Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. – Romans 12:10
- So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. – Matthew 7:12
- Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
- Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. – Leviticus 19:32
- My son, glorify thy soul in meekness, and give it honour according to the dignity thereof. – Sirach 10:28
- Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. – Exodus 20:12
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