It takes a touch of 'madness' to understand the ways of the 'mad' - Wèrè làá f’ín wò wèrè [We use 'madness' to examine 'madness'] - Yoruba Proverb • Quote

“ It takes a touch of 'madness' to understand the ways of the 'mad' - Wèrè làá f’ín wò wèrè [We use 'madness' to examine 'madness'] ” - Yoruba Proverb -

Quote Interpretations:

• Only someone who has experienced or understands a situation deeply (especially a strange or irrational one) can truly comprehend or deal with another person in the same situation. Likewise, only someone who shares or understands another’s peculiar state, mindset, or experience can truly comprehend or deal with them effectively. In other words — it takes one to know one. That is, using 'empathy' through shared experience — to grasp another’s behavior or actions.

• To truly understand someone who behaves irrationally or in a strange manner, you must enter their world — at least partially — to see as they see. In psychological terms, it implies that insight often requires identification: the therapist who understands trauma is often one who has known pain; the artist who portrays chaos convincingly has glimpsed it within. Succinctly, genuine understanding demands more than observation — it requires participation, empathy, and sometimes, shared struggle.

• From a societal standpoint, the proverb can reflect how one must adapt to dysfunction to survive within it. In a corrupt, absurd, or unjust environment, the person who insists on pure rationality may be crushed. Thus, to thrive in a “mad” system, one must sometimes mirror its energy — use wit, strategy, or even controlled “madness” to confront or expose it. Concisely, to engage effectively with a chaotic world, one must learn its language — even if that language is 'madness' itself.

• On a deeper philosophical level, the proverb can be seen as a reflection on the human condition. Every human carries a degree of contradiction, emotion, and irrationality — humanity's own “madness.” Therefore, to recognize 'madness' in others is to acknowledge the shadow of it within oneself. Conversely, self-knowledge is the key to understanding others — the 'chaos' within helps you decode the 'chaos' around you.

- TemQBS’ Food for Thought