The purpose of African proverbs, just like any others, is to give people a sense of what's right and wrong and teach them how to behave in a society. All of them share common ground because they are here to teach us the same values and to help us have judgment. Even though some proverbs might seem as though they have absolutely nothing in common, in the end, they are all trying to achieve the afore-mentioned purpose. Both the "individual psychology- and the "community- aphorisms talk about how individuals or groups should act toward each other. .
The first similarity between these two groups of proverbs can be seen in these two: "Between true friends even water drunk together is sweet enough."" (Zimbabwe) and "Happiness can grow from only little contentment.""(Pygmy) The first proverb states that it doesn't matter where you are, as long as you have good company. The second one declares that happiness can come out of the smallest things in life. It says that it can come out of anything as long as one is grateful for little events as well, not just for the ones that rarely happen to anyone. Without further analysis, these two sayings might seem extremely different, but in some way, they are both carrying the same message. They are both implying that as long as one is with their friends, he should enjoy spending time with them instead of complaining that they don't have wine instead of water. In that way happiness can really come out of "only a little contentment."".
The next analogy could be made between "The bitter heart eats its owner- (Tswana) and "Only someone else can scratch your back."" (Luyia, Western Kenya) "The bitter heart eats its owner- implies that when one is bitter to his friends and family, he is be to be loathed by everyone around him and in the end will be the one who is in despair. "Only someone else can scratch your back- declares that when one never helps anyone, no one will ever help him.
