Make not your sail too large for your ship.

Meaning: Ambition must match your actual resources, or you'll capsize under the weight of your own aspirations.

Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.

More proverbs about Wisdom

• Salmon and sermon have their season in Lent. — Both salmon and sermons flourish during Lent because scarcity and spiritual focus make th…
• Catch a bird by putting salt on its tail. — Impossible tasks require absurd methods; chasing what flees demands accepting futility.
• You can't make ropes of sand. — Attempting to bind unstable elements together will fail; fragile foundations cannot suppo…
• What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. — Fair rules must apply equally to both parties, regardless of gender or status.
• Sweet meat must have some sauce. — Desirable things often require effort, cost, or unpleasant accompaniment to obtain them f…
• One scabbed sheep infects the whole flock. — A single corrupted member spreads moral or practical contamination throughout an entire c…

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…