ProverbWisdomDutch origin

Doe wel en zie niet om

Meaning: Do what is right and don't worry about the consequences.

Literally: Do right and don't look back

Example: “Hij gaf het gevonden geld terug, wat er ook van kwam. Doe wel en zie niet om.” — He gave back the money he'd found, whatever came of it: do what you ought, come what may.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, and German

  • English: Do what thou ought, let come what may.
  • French: Fais ce que dois, advienne que pourra (literally: Do what you ought, come what may)
  • Spanish: Haz lo que debes y sea lo que Dios quiera (literally: Do what you ought, and let it be what God wills)
  • Japanese: 人事を尽くして天命を待つ (Jinji wo tsukushite tenmei wo matsu) (literally: Do all that is humanly possible, then await heaven's decree)
  • German: Tue recht und scheue niemand (literally: Do right and fear no one)

Origin: Short and old-fashioned: do good and don't look back.

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