No man knows better what good is than he that has an endured evil.
Meaning: Suffering teaches appreciation; adversity reveals the true value of comfort and peace.
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
- When good cheer is lacking our friends will be packing. — Fair-weather friends abandon you when prosperity fades and hardship arrives.
- Good counsel never comes too late. — Wisdom offered after a mistake still prevents future harm through learned experience.
- A good maxim is never out of season. — Wise principles remain valuable and applicable regardless of circumstances or timing.
- One can never have too much of a good thing. — Abundance of beneficial things—love, knowledge, health—enriches life without diminishment…
- One never loseth by doing good turns. — Kindness creates invisible returns that eventually benefit the giver, even when no immedi…
- Never split timber against the grain. — Fighting natural resistance wastes effort; success requires working with, not against, in…
From our idioms
- guardarsi alle spalle — To remain vigilant and aware of dangers or threats that might come from behind.
- qui casca l'asino — That is the crux of the matter; that is where the real difficulty lies.
- mettersi al passo con i tempi — To keep up with current events or modernize one's knowledge and habits.