Every wall is a door
Meaning: What appears to be an impassable barrier can be transformed into an opportunity.
Origin: Attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, though these exact words are not in his collected works. The likely source is a line in his essays on the natural history of the intellect, which says that the man truly conversant with life knows there is a remedy for every wrong, "and that every wall is a gate."
Equivalents in French, Spanish, and Japanese
- French: Tout mur est une porte (literally: Every wall is a door)
- Spanish: Toda pared es una puerta (literally: Every wall is a door)
- Japanese: あらゆる壁はドアだ (Arayuru kabe wa doa da) (literally: Every wall is a door)
More proverbs about Challenge
- Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is — Anxiety and worry magnify threats beyond their actual size.
- It always seems impossible until it's done — Before any achievement, it appears beyond reach; only completion reveals it was always po…
- Turn your wounds into wisdom — Our deepest pains and failures can become our greatest teachers and sources of strength.
- He who dares, wins — Bold action and courage are rewarded; timidity leads to missed opportunities.
- Be fearful when others are greedy — Excessive optimism in markets creates dangerous bubbles; prudent investors withdraw when…
- Danger past, God forgotten — When crisis ends, people abandon the gratitude and piety that desperation inspired.
From our idioms
- 高嶺の花 (Takane no hana) — Someone or something beautiful but utterly out of reach.
- 猫舌 (Nekojita) — Unable to handle hot food or drinks.
- Ни пуха ни пера (Ni pukha ni pera) — Good luck — to which the ritual reply is 'To the devil!'.