Ẹní burú mọ̀ — Yoruba Wisdom on Confronting Wrongdoing

Last updated: February 19, 2026

Yoruba Proverb

Ẹní burú mọ̀. Ẹni máa sọ fún ló ń wá.

Literal Translation

The wicked person knows. It is the one who will tell them that they seek.

Refined Rendering

A wrongdoer is aware of their wrongdoing. What they await is the brave soul who will say it to their face.

Interpretation

This proverb dismantles a common excuse: “They don’t know what they’re doing.”

Often, they do.

The issue is not ignorance. The issue is confrontation.

The wicked person is not searching for awareness. They are searching for resistance. For accountability. For someone with a spine made of ironwood.

Silence becomes their shelter. Bold truth becomes their mirror.

Context & Cultural Meaning

This proverb operates within the communal moral ecosystem of Yoruba society, where wrongdoing is rarely treated as a private affair, and character is public currency. Reputation is social capital, and the community functions as both audience and court. When someone behaves unjustly, people often know before the individual is confronted—but hierarchy, age, status, fear, or influence can freeze tongues.

The saying is frequently invoked when:

• A powerful person abuses influence
• An elder behaves dishonorably
• A leader exploits silence
• Someone plays innocent while clearly guilty
• Communities pretend not to see obvious wrongdoing
• Silence enables corruption

It recognizes a social reality: wrongdoing is visible, but confrontation is scarce.

This proverb, therefore, honors the courageous truth-speaker as a necessary civic figure, calling out cowardice as much as wickedness and reminding the community that moral courage is as vital as awareness.

Deeper Reflection

There is a psychological sharpness here. Many wrongdoers test boundaries. They measure how far they can go before someone objects. Each silence is interpreted as permission.

So, the proverb insists: Do not assume ignorance. Assume calculation.

And then choose whether you will be the one who speaks.

Moral Core

Truth requires courage.
Silence protects the wrong person.

The wicked may know.
But they are waiting to see if you do.

Moral Reflection

This proverb extends moral accountability beyond the wrongdoer to the bystander. Wrongdoing rarely exists in isolation; it thrives in the silence of those who witness but do not speak.

If harmful behavior continues unchecked, it is not enough to blame the perpetrator alone. Ask instead who declined to act, who chose safety over conscience. Every unchallenged offense stretches the boundary of what becomes acceptable, making complicity a quiet but active force.

Wrongdoing is active. Silence is passive. Both shape outcomes.

Application

The wisdom of this saying applies across multiple domains:

• Leadership: Toxic behavior flourishes where no one dares to challenge it.
• Families: Harmful patterns persist when elders or peers remain silent.
• Workplaces: Misconduct grows where feedback is feared or ignored.
• Governance: Corruption feeds on quiet rooms and unspoken truths.

Accountability is oxygen for justice. The proverb reminds us that courage to speak is as essential as integrity to act.

Broad Theme

Courageous Confrontation as a Social Duty

Supporting Themes

• Accountability in community life
• The ethics of speaking truth to power
• Silence as indirect permission
• Moral courage over social comfort
• Public character and reputation

The Subtle Sting

This proverb is not loud. It is surgical. It says: If evil persists, ask who has refused to confront it. Because sometimes the problem is not that the wrongdoer is unaware. It is that everyone else is afraid. And Yoruba wisdom does not admire fear.

Closing Reflection

Some people do not need enlightenment. They need encounter.

Not violence.
Not humiliation.
Not spectacle.

Just a steady voice that says, “I see what you are doing.”

That moment rearranges power. Because when truth is spoken aloud, pretense loses oxygen. And the one who speaks becomes larger than the fear that kept others quiet.