He that will steal a pin will steal a better thing.
Meaning: Small moral compromises create a slippery slope toward committing greater wrongs.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Challenge
- Little sticks kindle the fire, but great ones put it out. — Small initial efforts build momentum, while overwhelming force can extinguish fragile pro…
- He that will not go over the stile must be thrust through the gate. — Stubbornness in resisting one path merely ensures forced submission through a harder, mor…
- Trust not still water nor a silent man. — Stillness can mask danger; silence often conceals intentions, schemes, or untapped depths…
- After a storm comes a calm. — Hardship is temporary; peaceful periods naturally follow difficult ones.
- Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. — Worrying about tomorrow's troubles prevents you from managing today's actual problems eff…
- He deserves not the sweet that will not taste the sour. — Pleasure earned through hardship is more valuable and meaningful than unearned comfort.
From our idioms
- in full swing — At the peak of activity or intensity.
- in one's element — In one's most comfortable or favorite environment.
- have someone in stitches — To make someone laugh very hard.