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Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped

Meaning: Focus on the root cause of a problem rather than just its consequence.

Origin: African proverb from the Akan people of Ghana, emphasizing prevention over reaction.

Translations

  • French: Ne regarde pas où tu es tombé, mais où tu as glissé (literally: Don't look where you fell, but where you slipped)
  • Spanish: No mires donde caíste, sino donde resbalaste (literally: Don't look where you fell, but where you slipped)
  • Japanese: 転んだ場所ではなく、滑った場所を見よ (Koronda basho de wa naku, subetta basho wo miyo) (literally: Look not at where you fell, but where you slipped)

More proverbs about Wisdom

  • He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything — Good health is the foundation upon which all other good things in life are built.
  • Water finds its own level — People and things naturally settle into their proper place over time.
  • The moon is not shamed by the barking of dogs — Those with true integrity remain unaffected by baseless criticism or petty noise.
  • The more you know, the more you realize you don't know — True knowledge reveals the vastness of what remains to be learned.
  • The greatest wealth is health — Good health is more valuable than any material possession or social status.
  • Eagles don't catch flies — People of high purpose and ambition don't concern themselves with petty matters.

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