Failure to prepare is preparing to fail
Meaning: Neglecting advance planning guarantees poor outcomes when circumstances demand readiness.
Origin: Often credited to Benjamin Franklin, but no source in his writings has been found. The earliest known version was written by a clergyman, H. K. Williams, in 1919, and the basketball coach John Wooden later made it a favorite.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- February fill dyke, be it black or be it white — Heavy February rains or snows replenish water sources regardless of their visible form.
- Fish and company stink after three days — Prolonged proximity to guests or friends exhausts hospitality and tests patience, necessi…
- God doesn't give with both hands — Divine bounty always comes mixed with limitation, ensuring we appreciate gifts rather tha…
- History is written by the victors — The defeated's perspective vanishes from records because power, not truth, determines whi…
- Horses, not zebras — When diagnosing problems, assume common causes before exotic ones; simplicity usually pre…
- If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck — When multiple observable qualities align, trust the evidence rather than disputing the ap…
From our compliments & insults
- 눈치가 없다 (nunchi ga eopda) — Hopelessly socially oblivious — can't pick up on emotional cues, awkward silences, or uns…
- حمار (ḥimār) — A stubborn fool — the donkey being the universal symbol of obstinacy in Arabic culture.
- Je bent een kanjer — You're a star — a champ and a wonderful person.