Proverbs are the texts of common life.
Meaning: Wisdom emerges not from theoretical abstractions but from observing patterns in ordinary human experience and daily struggles.
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
- He that pryeth into every cloud, may be stricken with a thunder-bolt. — Excessive curiosity about dangerous or forbidden matters invites the very harm one seeks…
- Pull gently on a weak rope. — Excessive force on fragile things causes them to break; restraint and care preserve what'…
- It is easier to pull down than to build. — Destruction requires less effort, skill, and time than creating something of lasting valu…
- Let your purse be your master. — Spending wisely means letting your financial capacity, not desires, determine your purcha…
- He that shows his purse longs to be rid of it. — Displaying wealth openly invites theft, so the careless advertiser unconsciously desires…
- Don't quarrel with the beggar for his bone. — Arguing with someone who has nothing to lose is pointless and beneath your dignity.
From our tongue twisters
- 吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮，不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮。(Chī pútao bù tǔ pútao pí, bù chī pútao dào tǔ pútao pí.) — A 'pú/tǔ/pí' drill with reversing logic — the negations flip the meaning as the tongue tr…
- 黑化肥发黑会挥发；灰化肥发灰会挥发。(Hēihuàféi fā hēi huì huīfā; huīhuàféi fā huī huì huīfā.) — A 'hēi/huī/huì/fā' four-tone minefield — the tones alone change every meaning.
- De kat krabt de krullen van de trap. — A 'kr' cluster drill — Dutch consonant pileups that beginners approach with dread.