proverb · Words worth keeping
Instead of giving them corn, teach them how to grow it. –Inca
Instead of giving them corn, teach them how to grow it. –Inca
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Teaching corn growing instead of giving corn contrasts developing a capability with immediate provision. The saying values a skill that may support future needs.
What the words are saying
The comparison does not make immediate help inferior in every situation. A responsible interpretation considers access to land, resources, time and whether instruction is wanted. A lesson alone does not guarantee food, and urgent needs should not be withheld to enforce self-reliance. No cultivation method is supplied.
Everyday example
An organiser considers both a present need and a wanted learning opportunity with the resources it requires.
When to use it
Use it to discuss capability and provision together.
What it does not mean
No guaranteed harvest, farming procedure or reason to deny urgent assistance is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
Peru
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 231; PDF page 27; collection label: Peru
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Peru