Quote by Amadou Hampâté Bâ: “The mouth that does not know how to tell, does not know how to listen.”

This proverb suggests a deep connection between effective communication skills. It implies that true understanding and empathy come from being able to both articulate one's own thoughts clearly and attentively receive the perspectives of others.

Bâ's work often drew from oral traditions. This proverb reflects the interconnectedness of active communication, suggesting that effective storytelling and attentive listening are two sides of the same essential human skill.

Malian writer, oral historian, and diplomat who devoted his life to recording West African oral traditions before they were lost. He represented Mali at UNESCO in the 1960s and 1970s, and his memoir Amkoullel, l'enfant peul remains a celebrated document of pre-colonial Sahelian life. He coined the phrase that became the rallying cry for African oral history.