Proverb of the Week: When Elephants Fight, the Grass Gets Hurt.
Proverb of the Week: When
Elephants Fight, the Grass Gets Hurt.
“Wapiganapo tembo nyasi huumia” Swahili (Kenya, Tanzania)
When Elephants Fight, Who Pays the Price? This simple African proverb means many
people understand its message only after experiencing it. When two powerful
people fall out, they may have the money, influence or authority to fight their
battles. But those caught in between are often left to deal with the
consequences.
Think of a family going through a bitter separation.
The husband and wife may be angry with each other, trading accusations and
trying to prove who is right. In the middle of it all are children who have no
control over what is happening. They hear the shouting, witness the resentment
or even separation, and the children may even be forced to choose sides. Adults
eventually move on, but children can carry those memories for years.
The same thing happens beyond the home.
In workplaces, employees can find themselves caught
between managers who refuse to work together. In politics, ordinary citizens
bear the cost of rivalries between leaders. Businesses may close, public
services may suffer, and communities may become divided, while those
responsible for the conflict remain protected by their positions.
This is the uncomfortable truth behind the proverb:
the people with the least power often have the most to lose.
These situations worsen because those involved in the
conflict do not always recognise the damage they cause. When anger takes over,
winning the argument can become more important than protecting the people
around them. Each side concentrates on proving a point, getting even or
refusing to back down. Meanwhile, those caught in the middle absorb the impact.
Children are particularly vulnerable because they
depend on adults for their emotional guidance and security. A child should not
have to become a messenger between fighting parents, listen to one parent
insult the other or feel responsible for keeping the family together. Children
should not pay for adults' disagreements. A parent's anger should not rob a
child of peace.
The proverb also challenges us to think differently
about power. Being in a position of authority does not simply give someone the
right to make decisions; it also comes with a responsibility to consider how
those decisions affect others. A leader's dispute should not burden the
community. A manager's personal rivalry should not threaten employees'
livelihoods.
Of course, not every disagreement can be avoided, and
some conflicts are necessary when people must stand up against injustice. The
lesson is not that people should remain silent to keep the peace. Rather, it is
that conflict should be handled with awareness of who might be hurt in the
process, especially those with little say in the matter.
Sometimes, the strongest person in a disagreement is
not the one who shouts the loudest or refuses to surrender. It is the one who
recognises when the fight is causing unnecessary harm and chooses to handle the
situation differently.
Wapiganapo tembo nyasi huumia
reminds us to look beyond the people at the centre of a dispute. Ask who is
suffering, who has been forgotten and who is being forced to carry a burden
they did not create.
Because when the elephants finally walk away, the
grass still has time to recover.