The Sweet Science of Behavior: How the Shona Used Fruit to Teach Psychology

The Tsumo by NhakaBox database includes some fruity and delicious insights that inform and educate. In addition to revealing which fruits (michero) were sweet and which were best avoided, michero in tsumo are used to teach about human nature and deception, and how effort is rewarded. For example, the wild custard apple, roro, routinely deceives would-be fruit eaters with a ripe red that conceals feasting maggots within. In the same way, the mobola plum, chakata, literally makes itself a target by ripening conspicuously on the tree. In any case, every person who has ever bitten into a perfect-looking fruit that tasted of nothing, knows why Shona ancestors used fruit to teach life lessons about betrayal. 

However, the deceptive appearances of some fruits tell only part of the story. The Shona ancestors also used fruit to teach crucial lessons about effort and reward. Consider "Chakata iri pasi ndeyavanhu vose..." The fallen fruit is bruised and overripe, but easily claimed by anyone passing by. Getting the perfectly sweet and firm fruit from the tree, however, is a risk that needs to be matched by climbing skill. Similarly, "Kure kwegava…" captures the mitigating impact of desire on distance. These tsumo reveal a pattern: access to the best of anything, whether its fruit or opportunities, requires additional or exceptional effort. But why did the Shona ancestors choose fruits to communicate this insight about human behavior and life?

The answer lies in the universal relatability of fruit experiences. When Shona elders taught "Iringa nameso, muchero wenhundurwa," listeners remembered specific moments of desire, of choice, and of consequences. They already understood that the stickiest lessons are connected to sensory memory and personal experience. A tsumo about attractive but bitter fruit that is best admired from a distance is a lesson about forbidden relationships that can destabilize a community. And a tsumo about the paradox of a ripe fruit at the peak of its beauty and vulnerability, is a lesson about discretion. This approach transformed everyday fruit encounters into educational experiences teaching lessons about effort, desire, and consequences. And this is just a fraction of the sophisticated insights the Shona have preserved through tsumo that reference michero.

Shona ancestors also used fruit to teach discernment about value and satisfaction. "Totenda maruva…" is practical advice about timing that doubly warns against premature gratitude. Similarly, "Kufira guyu kuuya..." distinguishes between meaningful sacrifice and pointless suffering. And, "Hapana muchero usina masvisvinwa" acknowledges that every fruit, and therefore, every reward, includes something imperfect that must be endured or accepted. These tsumo, anchored by michero, offer a framework for evaluating risks and the return on an investment and the importance of timing. In essence, the Shona transformed their shared experiences of gathering and anticipating fruit into a masterclass on decision-making and consequences.

Whether you're teaching children about making good choices, navigating complex relationships, or understanding why some people succeed while others settle for less, tsumo offer insights that are still relevant today. Search "michero" in Tsumo by NhakaBox and discover what the Shona ancestors understood about the sweet science of human behavior.