Proverbs, popularly known and repeated sayings, often have some truth to them. Usually the phrases convey a particular meaning but do not go into real debt. For example, take the proverb “You cannot teach an old dog new tricks”. It means that someone who is used to do things in a certain way has problems changing their behavior. It´s not a bad proverb, but it doesn´t make a strong statement or give any fundamental insight to the same extent that can be said for the other proverbs mentioned below. In my opinion these 7 proverbs are among the better proverb you can use to describe the human condition.

Assumptions about the importance of upbringing

As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined – An adult will have the same behavior pattern as he/she had as a child. Implied with ‘a bent twig’ is that the pattern is created by nurture and that it is not inherited. As with most proverbs the charm is just as much related to the melody when speaking the phrase.

The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world – This proverb is even stronger than the one mentioned above. Because mothers shape their children´s personalities, they are the most powerful people. Very few would take this proverb completely serious. Mothers have a huge influence on their offspring, however, combined influences of genes and wealth of the family one’s born into is also of significant importance. The best part about is proverb is the poetic tone when said out loud.

The child is father of the man - A person will have the same qualities as an adult that he or she had as a child. Implied in this proverb is that the man´s personality is formed in childhood. Because of the poetic wording I would recommend using it if you agree with the underlying assumption.

Human nature proverbs

Some proverbs are particularly smart or insightful. The degree of insightfulness naturally varies and some of them have been repeated so often that they have almost gotten the unfortunate status of a cliché. Some that are, in my opinion, particularly insightful are these four.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely (Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely) – This is one of my favorites as it relates to human nature. One who has total authority is very likely to abuse his position in a manner that would seem improbable by the person´s personality before the power was attained. It gives a strong statement about human nature. Unfortunately, this proverb has been overused to the extent that it is almost a cliché.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing (a little learning is a dangerous thing) – This is my personal favorite. The meaning and use of this proverb is to describe someone who believes that he or she is an expert in a subject after just a little bit of study. For those of us who have already passed the 30 year marks, we have perhaps not only been one of the obnoxious University students who believe they know how the world works by having read authors like Hegel and Ayn Rand, but we have also grown to appreciate the absurdity of this tendency. The more you have studied the more you realize the extent of this truth even in non political subjects, e. g. Evolution.

Set a beggar on horseback, and he’ll ride to the devil – Jacob Bidermans’ novel, Utopia, from 1604 and later rephrased by Ludvig Holberg in 1722 in the play ´Jeppe on the hill´, describes a situation where a poor man who, as part of a joke, gets convinced that he is the Baron. Soon thereafter he starts to abuse his power. Unlike the ‘power corrupts’ proverb above, this proverb is more related to individuals, e. g. lottery millionaires.

If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him – This English translation of a quote by Voltaire implying that people need a deity to worship. It is also at times rephrased using a person instead of God. The phrase can, for example, be used with the name of someone who is a scapegoat.

Author is not only a fan of the English language, but also teaches Norwegian online for people interested in learning Norwegian http://www.norwegianlearning.com/. He also has a Norwegian course for Portuguese speakers at Aprender Noruegues.