Look before you leap
Meaning: Think carefully before acting.
Origin: One of the oldest sayings in English: a version meaning "first look, and afterward leap" is recorded in the mid-14th century, and John Heywood gives "look ere ye leap" in his 1546 collection. It is not Aesop's, but English editions attached it as the moral of his fable of the fox and the goat, in which the goat jumps into a well without a thought for how to get out again.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and Italian
- French: Il faut tourner sept fois sa langue dans sa bouche (literally: Turn your tongue seven times in your mouth before speaking)
- Spanish: Antes de actuar, piensa (literally: Before acting, think)
- Japanese: 石橋を叩いて渡る (Ishibashi wo tataite wataru) (literally: Cross the stone bridge after tapping it)
- German: Erst wägen, dann wagen (literally: First weigh, then dare)
- Italian: Guarda innanzi che tu salti (literally: Look before you leap)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- A stitch in time saves nine — Fixing a problem early prevents bigger issues later.
- Don't count your chickens before they hatch — Don't assume success before it happens.
- Knowledge is power — Education and learning give you strength and advantage.
- Time heals all wounds — Emotional pain fades with the passage of time.
- Where there is smoke, there is fire — Rumors or signs usually indicate some truth.
- Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day — Teaching someone is more valuable than doing things for them.
From our compliments & insults
- Tu as du chien — You have a certain irresistible magnetism — a je-ne-sais-quoi that draws people in.
- Tu as la tête sur les épaules — You're grounded, sensible, and dependable — not easily swept off course.
- Tu as le vent en poupe — Everything is going your way — you're riding a wave of momentum and success.