Do not go where the path may lead; go where there is no path and leave a trail
Meaning: True innovation and leadership mean forging your own way rather than following the crowd.
Origin: Usually credited to Ralph Waldo Emerson, but it does not appear in his writings. The earliest known version is by the poet Muriel Strode, published in the journal The Open Court in 1903: "I will not follow where the path may lead, but I will go where there is no path, and I will leave a trail."
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: N'allez pas là où le chemin mène ; allez là où il n'y a pas de chemin et laissez une trace (literally: Don't go where the path leads; go where there is no path and leave a trail)
- Spanish: No vayas donde el camino lleva; ve donde no hay camino y deja una huella (literally: Don't go where the path leads; go where there is no path and leave a trail)
- Japanese: 道のあるところに行くな。道のないところへ行って痕跡を残せ (Michi no aru tokoro ni iku na. Michi no nai tokoro e itte konseki wo nokose) (literally: Don't go where there is a path. Go where there is no path and leave a trace)
- German: Geh nicht dorthin, wo der Weg hinführt; geh dorthin, wo kein Weg ist, und hinterlasse eine Spur (literally: Do not go where the way leads; go where there is no way, and leave behind a trace)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- A nail is driven out by another nail — New habits, relationships, or ideas can effectively replace and eliminate old ones.
- The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook — True wisdom includes knowing which details and offenses are not worth your attention or e…
- A bad penny always comes back — Undesirable people or problems have a persistent way of reappearing despite your efforts…
- A buck's a buck — Money retains equal value regardless of its source or the circumstances under which it wa…
- A cat may look at a king — Even the humblest creature possesses the right to observe or question those of highest st…
- A creaking door hangs long on its hinges — Constant complaint or noise doesn't necessarily lead to ruin; persistence can outlast exp…
From our tongue twisters
- Ular melingkar-lingkar di atas pagar pak Umar. — A rolling 'l / r / ling' drill that loops like the snake it describes.
- ยักษ์ใหญ่ไล่ยักษ์เล็ก (Yák yài lâi yák lék) — A tonal 'yak / yai / lai / lek' drill that hops across Thai tones in four short beats.
- Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. — A 'b / t / tt' plosive drill that bounces between Betty, butter, and bitter.