Turkish people grow up hearing a lot of proverbs that they use later in life to make better decisions in tough situations. I have observed that this way of understanding and evaluating life and everything in it quickly turns into a habit. So Turkish proverbs actually play a significant role in day-to-day living and thinking of Turkish speaking and identifying peoples.

Adults often use these proverbs while dealing with people and giving advise to others. Especially at work and in family environments people use old, wise sayings in order to make the best possible decisions to avoid sticky situations.

Turkish Proverbs and their affect on people’s day-to-day decisions are very strong in Turkey. This special post might give you a little bit more insight into how Turkish people think and operate…

Öfke ile kalkan zararla oturur: He who gets up (starts up) in anger, sits down with a loss. Or harm.

Turkish people are known for their easy temper and impatience. That’s what makes this proverb very commonly used and easily remembered. And to be honest, quiet effective! One of my favorite Turkish proverbs.

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen a Turkish guy all of a sudden suddenly get very angry at someone and be on the verge of doing something aggressive and stupid. But no, you have “Öfkeyle kalkan zararla oturur!“…

This proverb manages to remind people that if they act on their anger without any regard of the circumstences, it’s unlikely that it is going to be good for them. So, they just sit back down and usually avoid ‘the loss’. Isn’t that nice? keyword: Turkish Proverbs

Sürüden ayrılan koyunu kurt kapar: The sheep separated from the flock is eaten by the wolf.

I’ve met a lot of travelers in Istanbul who were surprised at the fact that we have almost no homeless people here. When they ask me why, I always think of the same answer because that’s the only one that makes any sense: the family structure is so strong here!

People have each other’s back. This proverb reminds me of that way of thinking. You know, not leaving the flock, not leaving the family behind or out. Supporting each other and having the back of one-another.

When you look at the rich people in Turkey, you see that most of them have worked their way up together with their families. keyword: Turkish Proverbs

Yenilen pehlivan güreşe doymaz: A defeated wrestler will always ask for more.

This one’s about being stubborn and how it can be your worst enemy at times. Especially when you’ve just lost.

Just to keep us aware of the fact that it’s people are more likely to make mistakes easier while trying to make up for recent losses.

Ateş düştüğü yeri yakar: An ember burns where it falls.

This one’s very realistic and can be a little bit depressing. It means that a pain can only be felt by its true owner.

No one can really understand what you’re going through except for yourself. And you shouldn’t expect anyone to truly understand your emotions or what you are going through. It’s just impossible.

İnsan yedisinde ne ise yetmişinde de odur: What a man is at seven is also what he is at seventy.

This one you don’t have to agree with! But it is what many people believe in Turkey. We believe that people don’t change that easily. Even if they think they can or have, it usually doesn’t mean it’s a permanent change. You are usually who you are…