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In traditional African societies, counsel was given in various forms, the most common of which
were giving advice and sharing wisdom. Giving advice has been a common way of providing
help for other people. The advice offered was frequently instrumental in helping people to
consider their future. In many instances, the extended family was the main source of advice for
family/clan members. There was usually no shortage of people willing to share their wisdom
with others. Therefore giving advice often promoted the dependence of the young persons on
the advice given which was largely subjective and did not promote the personal development
of young people. Wisdom generally refers to experience and knowledge about life and using
them judiciously. In African societies, it was considered the responsibility of elders to provide wisdom or counsel to young boys and girls. The wisdom provided by elderly men and women
was part of the counseling function of the family or society for boys and girls. Another aspect
of wisdom is sharing proverbs or folk stories. A well-known African proverb is, ‘When
elephants fight, the grass suffers.’ Folk stories about the ‘hare’ are also told in many parts of Africa. However, let us consider the fact that counseling is not giving advice nor is it providing wisdom per se.
Titany answered the question on September 13, 2021 at 09:47