Humans fundamentally do not live alone, but rather in communities that serve as spaces for growth, interaction, and identity formation. However, community life is often marked by conflict and division, so principles are needed that can maintain harmony and community integrity. In local traditions, these principles are usually present in the form of proverbs or ethical expressions passed down from generation to generation as reminders of the fundamental values ​​of communal life. This study examines two local proverbs that serve to strengthen unity, namely Misa' Kada Dipotuo Pantan Kada Dipomate from Toraja, which means "united we stand, divided we fall," and Pai Tite Hama-Hama, Ta Soga Naran Lewo Tana from Merdeka Village (Lamaholot), which means "let us build the village together." Torajan proverbs were born in the context of resistance against the dominance of the Bone Sultanate in the 17th century, becoming symbols of struggle and steadfastness in the face of external threats. Meanwhile, the proverb "Desa Merdeka" (Freedom Village) is rooted in the agreement of three large tribes—Kolibuto, Leworaeng, and Kewela—to live side by side as one community through the spirit of gemohing (mutual cooperation), which then gave birth to the new expression titehena (we alone) as a symbol of collective brotherhood. Using a qualitative-ethnographic and hermeneutic approach, this study shows that although born from different historical contexts, both affirm unity as an ethical imperative relevant to contemporary social life.