Sùúrù ni baba ìwà — Patience is the father of good character
Category: Proverbs
A proverb teaching that patience is the foundation good character is built on.
Often quoted alongside "Ìwà l'ẹ́wà" to teach that both patience and character take time to grow.
The proverb names sùúrù (patience) as a kind of parent to ìwà (good character), implying that the two traits that matter most in Yorùbá moral teaching aren't separate qualities — one grows out of the other over time.
It's commonly paired in speech with "Ìwà l'ẹ́wà" (character is beauty): together the two proverbs form a two-part teaching — patience builds good character, and good character is what actually counts as true beauty.
Example: Má bínú kíákíá; sùúrù ni baba ìwà. — "Don't get angry quickly; patience is the father of good character."
Related words:
- Ìwà — Character
- Ìwà l'ẹ́wà — The companion proverb, "character is beauty"