It's better to be lucky than wise.
Meaning: Fortune often achieves what intellect cannot, suggesting preparation matters less than favorable circumstance.
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 Wisdom
- A bushel of March dust is worth a king's ransom. — Spring plowing requires dry soil; early-season dust signals ideal conditions for successf…
- Forsake not the market for the toll. — Avoid sacrificing greater opportunities for minor immediate gains or obligations.
- Three women and a goose make a market. — Excessive noise and commotion from small groups can create an illusion of bustling activi…
- He who marries for wealth sells his liberty. — Pursuing financial gain through marriage sacrifices personal freedom and autonomy in choo…
- Marry above your match and you get a master. — Marrying someone of superior social standing trades equality for subjugation in the relat…
- One eye of the master sees more than four of the servants'. — A leader's direct attention to detail accomplishes more than distant oversight of multipl…
From our untranslatable words
- L'esprit de l'escalier — Thinking of the perfect comeback only after the moment has passed — on your way down the…
- Terroir — The unique character that a place — its soil, climate and tradition — gives to a wine or…
- Râler — To complain and grumble with a certain national flair — a beloved French pastime.