Ẹní ń l’éku méjì á p’òfo — Yoruba Wisdom on the Power of Focus

Last updated: February 16, 2026

Yoruba Wisdom

Ẹní ń l’éku méjì á p’òfo

Literal Translation

He who pursues two rats at the same time will end up empty handed.

Expanded Rendering

Anyone who attempts to chase two or multiple targets simultaneously will end up achieving nothing.

Interpretation

This proverb speaks with the authority of experience.

To chase a rat requires speed, precision, and undivided attention. Rats do not wait. They scatter. They slip. They vanish at the slightest distraction.

Now imagine splitting that attention.

The proverb teaches that divided pursuit guarantees diluted effort. It is not that the hunter lacks skill. It is that attention fractured becomes power weakened.

Yoruba thought here is practical, not abstract. Focus is not merely a virtue. It is a strategy for survival. Two pursuits at once often result in zero results.

Context & Cultural Meaning

In traditional Yoruba settings, hunting small animals like rats required sharp reflexes and singular concentration. The imagery is domestic, familiar, and immediate.

The proverb is commonly invoked to caution against:

• Taking on multiple ventures without capacity
• Divided loyalty
• Multitasking beyond competence
• Scattered ambition

It reflects a broader Yoruba philosophical principle: energy must be directed to be effective. Effort is not infinite. Attention is not elastic. To stretch both carelessly is to invite failure.

Moral Reflection

Ambition without focus becomes self-sabotage.

This proverb does not discourage aspiration. It disciplines it. It asks: choose.

Completion requires commitment. Commitment requires narrowing.

To chase everything is to secure nothing.

Application

This wisdom applies powerfully across modern life:

• Career: Trying to master too many skills at once
• Business: Launching multiple ventures without depth
• Relationships: Emotional dividedness weakens bonds
• Personal growth: Scattered discipline yields scattered results
• Spiritual life: Depth demands singular devotion

Focus is not a limitation. It is multiplication.

Broad Theme

The power of focus

Supporting Themes

• The danger of divided attention
• Strategic concentration
• The limits of multitasking
• Disciplined ambition
• Effective effort

Closing Reflection

The rat you almost caught does not feed you.

Yoruba wisdom does not romanticize busyness. It honors completion.

If two paths demand your chase, choose one. The empty hand is proof of divided pursuit.