proverb · Words worth keeping
When a man is coming toward you, you don’t need to say: Come here!
When a man is coming toward you, you don’t need to say: Come here!
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Calling someone to come when they are already approaching questions an instruction that adds nothing to an ongoing action. The saying values noticing what is already happening.
What the words are saying
A responsible reading does not make every repeated request unnecessary. Clarification, accessibility or a change in purpose may still matter. A useful application considers whether communication helps the person understand rather than assuming observation settles their intent or readiness.
Everyday example
Someone checks what a colleague is already doing before repeating an instruction they may not need.
When to use it
Use it to discuss relevant communication with clarification available.
What it does not mean
No universal redundancy of reminders or certainty about another person’s intention 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
Ghana
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 646; PDF page 58; collection label: Ghana
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Ghana