If things were to be done twice, all would be wise.
Meaning: Hindsight reveals mistakes, but life allows no rehearsals—act carefully the first time.
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 Perseverance
- Never carry two faces under one hat. — Duplicity and hypocrisy inevitably expose themselves; maintaining contradictory personas…
- When two Sundays come in one week--that is, never. — Impossible events cannot be awaited; stop postponing difficult tasks with false hope of p…
- He who stays in the valley will never get over the hill. — Comfort in familiar circumstances prevents growth and progress beyond current limitations.
- He is wise enough that can keep himself warm in winter. — Self-sufficiency and practical preparation matter more than theoretical knowledge or gran…
- He that goes far from home for a wife, either intends to cheat or will be cheated. — Marrying a stranger from distant lands invites deception, whether intentional fraud or na…
- There is one good wife in the country, and every man thinks he hath her. — Every husband believes his own wife is uniquely virtuous, blinding him to her actual flaw…
From our idioms
- put the squeeze on — To apply pressure on someone to do something; to force or coerce someone.
- raise cain — To cause a disturbance, often because one is extremely angry; to make trouble.
- rake someone over the coals — To reprimand or criticize someone harshly.