If you can't beat them, join them
Meaning: If you can't win against something, align with it.
Origin: An American saying, especially in politics: when a rival cannot be defeated, become their ally. A version appears in an Iowa farm paper in 1902, and Senator James E. Watson listed it among his favorite maxims in The Atlantic Monthly in 1932.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Si tu ne peux pas les battre, rejoins-les (literally: If you can't beat them, join them)
- Spanish: Si no puedes con tu enemigo, únete a él (literally: If you can't beat your enemy, join them)
- Japanese: 長い物には巻かれろ (Nagai mono ni wa makarero) (literally: Wrap yourself around long things)
- German: Mit den Wölfen muss man heulen (literally: With the wolves one must howl)
More proverbs about Challenge
- You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs — Progress requires sacrifice.
- What doesn't kill you makes you stronger — Adversity builds resilience and character.
- Nothing ventured, nothing gained — You must take risks to achieve rewards.
- Out of the frying pan, into the fire — Escaping one bad situation only to end up in a worse one.
- The road to success is paved with failure — Success requires learning from mistakes.
- Walk softly and carry a big stick — Act gently but maintain the power to enforce if needed.