ProverbHuman NatureEnglish origin1734

As the twig is bent, so grows the tree

Meaning: Early experiences and upbringing shape a person's lifelong character and habits.

Who said it? Alexander Pope, Moral Essays, 1734

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 German

  • German: Jung gewohnt, alt getan (literally: Accustomed to it when young, doing it when old)

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