Cool heads must prevail

Meaning: Rational thinking, not emotional impulse, resolves conflicts and prevents disaster.

Origin: A variation on "cooler heads prevailed," in which calmer people win out over angry ones. References to "the advice of cooler heads" appear in print by the early 19th century, and the phrase was common by the century's end.

More proverbs about Wisdom

From our false friends

  • Sky — Actually means 'cloud'. The sky overhead is himmelen.
  • Grine — Actually means 'to cry' or to pull a sour face. In Danish, grine means 'to laugh' — the e…
  • Frokost — Actually means 'breakfast'. In Danish the same word means 'lunch' — so a cross-border inv…

Browse all false friends →

← Back to Proverbs