Proverb – Jamaica

Nationality: Jamaican
Age: 73
Occupation: Retired
Residence: Jamaica
Performance Date: April 21, 2008
Primary Language: English

“Man walks too fast, walk two time.

Subject’s Analysis:

I received this entry from my Jamaican grandmother. She said that the meaning was that if you walk to fast, you will have to go back in order to find your way. She said that this proverb is supposed to emphasize patience. She learned the proverb from her mother when she was growing up as a child in Jamaica. This proverb is used as advice to someone who is rushing through a job, or assignment, or rushing in general.

Collector’s Analysis:

I think that my grandmother’s analysis is only a small part of the overall message. While I think that this proverb is about patience, I think that this proverb is also about attention to detail. I believe that what it’s saying is that people must take care and pay attention during their first attempt at something in order to do it correctly, otherwise they will be forced to repeat the task because it was done improperly.