Playing with Proverbs

Let’s start from the beginning:

What is a proverb?

So a proverb is a short, well-known pithy saying stating a general truth or piece of advice.

They can appear in various sources, spoken out loud or printed in books and cards, on cups or appear online. 

Interested in how proverbs can influence ethical decision-making in a playful way, I started investigating past projects that relate to my line of enquiry.

Thereby I stumbled over the proverb card game John Jacques and Sons designed in 1860. By creating this game, the authors have found a way to combine ideals of “good behaviour” with fun and playful elements.

Investigating how this apparent “good behaviour” would look Iike in today’s age, I started asking a group of people about their favourite sayings, which I then translated into a card game. 

Let us begin.

Our first proverb is a little gloomy. It is a way of saying that you must share the consequences of negative actions, even if you were not directly committing them.

Caught together, Hung together.  

The following proverb helps develop reasoning abilities. 

In this case, it helps you realise that appearances can be deceiving and do not guarantee their true worth or quality.

All the Glitter is no gold.

Let’s continue with the next card: 

This proverb is a motivational reminder that pushing through difficulties is necessary for personal development.

No painwithout gain!

A general truth is also that sometimes progress requires sacrifices.  

Having to overcome these obstacles along the way can also be explained as….

You have to break eggs to make an omelette. 

Proverbs usually make sense. 

Sometimes they don’t seem logical or are paradoxical at first.

For example, you can’t really undo breaking an egg, can you?

Yet this proverb challenges you to think about the positive attributes of patience and  waiting until something gets better. Here the saying also serves as a tool to comfort. 

Time heals all wounds.

One of the most commonly used sayings is when it comes to hygiene.

Actually, it is not so much about hygiene but rather talks about the mutual exchange of favours or benefits. 

One hand washes the other.

While interviewing my focus group, I discovered a personal connection to every proverb based on each individual’s experiences. Surprisingly I also collated a few made-up or rather unknown sayings. Such as:

Unnecessary as a drill in a submarine

Or

He who doesn’t stand by the truth sits by the lie.

Now it’s time to reveal that the interviewees shared only German proverbs with me, which I then translated into English. Yet, even though the existing cultural and language barriers, it seems possible to still understand the meaning behind them.

Thereby we realise that proverbs can help bridge these barriers while possibly serving as a playful reminder of ethical decision-making.

To reinforce their message I used gestures and played with hand signs, another pretty comprehensible way of communication.

Overall, I figured not only that proverbs can be used almost universally, but they also help to foster critical thinking and promote a sense of belonging.

Eventually, understanding the role of proverbs unveiled their significant relevance and constant contribution to the collective wisdom of humanity.

Now we are at the end. 

I hope you enjoyed it. And always remember: 

Everything has one end, but the sausage has two.