Corn is cleansed with the wind, and the soul with chastening.
Meaning: Removing chaff from grain requires force; similarly, moral purification demands disciplinary hardship.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- In wiving and thriving men should take counsel of all the world. — Marriage and business success require diverse perspectives, not solitary decision-making.
- Every couple is not a pair. — Not all romantic partnerships function as unified wholes; some lack the harmony needed fo…
- Far from court, far from care. — Distance from power's intrigues shields one from their anxieties and dangers.
- Less of your courtesy, and more of your purse. — Generosity of wallet matters far more than polite words when someone needs material help.
- Men dream in courtship but in wedlock wake. — Romantic idealization fades when fantasy must survive the daily realities of married life.
- Stretch your legs according to your coverlet. — Live within your means; don't spend beyond what you can afford or possess.
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