Words and Worlds of Wisdom

<p>Words of wisdom within the African context conjure the foundational thoughts of ancestors thoughts which today find themselves in the public sphere. With its focus on individual thoughts this pan-African collection among other things amplifies the African-centred prism of knowledge as a collective creation while stretching the boundaries of the concept of wisdom.</p><p>They depict the intricate and unique African perception and relation to the universe. As Molefi K. Asante wonders what could be any more correct for any people than to see with their own eyes? Collectively these sayings constitute a pillar in the edification of a culture that departs from mere hearing seeing and consumption to the creation of narratives and hence knowledge. They focus on the shared experiences and aspirations for freedom a philosophical outlook heavily anchored on balance as well as on community.</p><p>Unfortunately some are still tempted to dismiss words of wisdom as having no bearing on today’s hi-tech and even post-modernist global village. Yet if anything these words have even more relevance in a cacophonic estranged and even brutish world tightly in the grip of forces bent on twisting all thought processes toward a particular status quo.</p><p>Each saying should be perceived as a coin – with two sides – and should therefore not be taken at face value. For like virtue each one is capable of turning into vice when stretched too far! As a vital prompt in the project of living this collection proposes to the reader the advantage and a philosophy of balance as the worthwhile and healthy modus vivendi.</p>