As the twig is bent, so grows the tree
Meaning: Early experiences and upbringing shape a person's lifelong character and habits.
Origin: From Alexander Pope's Moral Essays, in the epistle to Lord Cobham (1734):"'Tis education forms the common mind: / Just as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined." A gardener can shape a young tree by bending its supple branches, but grown wood sets; Pope applied the image to how upbringing shapes character.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Tel l'arbuste est plié, tel grandit l'arbre (literally: As the sapling is bent, so grows the tree)
- Spanish: Como se dobla la ramita, así crece el árbol (literally: As the twig is bent, so the tree grows)
- Japanese: 若木が曲げられる方向に木は育つ (Wakagi ga magerareru hōkō ni ki wa sodatsu) (literally: A tree grows in the direction the young plant was bent)
- German: Jung gewohnt, alt getan (literally: Accustomed to it when young, doing it when old)
More proverbs about Human Nature
- If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together — Short-term speed comes from solitude; long-term achievement comes from collaboration.
- A bad workman always blames his tools — Incompetent people blame external factors for their failures instead of taking responsibi…
- Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow — Happiness multiplies and burdens lighten when shared with others.
- A hungry stomach has no ears — People cannot focus on anything else when their most basic needs are unmet.
- The fish sees the bait but not the hook — People are often tempted by apparent benefits while ignoring the hidden dangers.
- What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over — We only suffer from what we know about; ignorance can sometimes bring a measure of peace.
From our tongue twisters
- Como poco coco como, poco coco compro. — A bouncy 'co' drill — the word order and meaning flip with each repetition.
- Pepe Pecas pica papas con un pico. ¿Con qué pico pica papas Pepe Pecas? — A bouncy 'p' cluster that accelerates with the question at the end.
- El perro de San Roque no tiene rabo porque Ramón Ramírez se lo ha robado. — A rolled-'r' workout — every word demands the vibrating trill.