It is the rat inside the house that tells the rat outside that there is fish in the basket.
This is a frequently used proverb in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria and it means that, most times, the reason behind the challenges people are passing through may not be from external factors but from enemies within. Before you trust your life with someone, you need to know to what extent you can trust the person with other things. Example: someone that has let out secret about you before, how do you think they will not do it again?
Sometimes, the people you call friends are the reasons behind some of your predicament. The truth is; the rot that eats the stem of a big palm tree is not the rot that is a mile away but the rot that lives within it. Being cautious of who you associate with, what you tell people, how you relate with them are all safety strategies. A friend of mine once made this statement with regards to keeping secret:
The secret you cannot keep to yourself, do not expect someone else to keep it for you. Once it is shared, then it loses its secrecy.
I once saw a movie sometimes ago that buttressed this. In a particular military battalion, plans were made on the next line of action - it was in a combat scenario, but each time they moved to execute their plans, it would look like the enemies are waiting for them and they will be delivered into the hands of their enemies.
It seemed like the enemies knew everything about them and their exact next line of action. This thing went on until it was discovered that there a "mole" inside them that have been giving the enemies secrets about them and that was how they were freed from the enemy within and they were able to overcome the enemy on the outside.
Sometimes, the enemy within might just be your own self. Yes, some people are the ones impeding their own motion by their actions, their attitudes, their character and the likes. Without conquering the dark side of yourself or at least putting it to subjection, you may not be able to face and overcome a much darker force on the outside.
There are little foxes that do more harm to the vine than other big creatures. When you focus more on the other creatures but leaving the little foxes, it will mean majoring on the minor. Most times, the things we look at and say "it does not matter" are the things that carry much weight and they matter the most. You have to start early to fight the flaws that are within before they become monstrous and start influencing even the things that are on the outside. Just like an Igbo proverb has it that:
Bido n'ehihie chuba ewu ojii, tupu abani abia
This literally translates that you need to start chasing a black goat when there is still daytime, when the night comes it will be different to spot the black goat. What this means in this context is that you need to start early to conquer the inner flaws while it is still within the stage of being conquered.
Thanks for reading
That first line really sounds funny...
Never heard of that proverb before though.
But then truly if the devil inside doesn't tell to those outside, it won't be easy for that devil outside to enter...
This is the case for certain cases of robbery, kidnapping and some other things that happen here in Nigeria.
That's right bro. Some of these bad things that happen are perpetrated by the people within.
Thanks a lot for coming around
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