Standers by see more than the gamesters.
Meaning: Detached observers perceive patterns and opportunities that active participants miss through narrow focus.
Origin: Onlookers at a game can often see moves the players miss. Francis Bacon wrote in his Essays (1597) that "lookers on many times see more than gamesters," and the proverb is now usually heard as "lookers-on see most of the game."
More proverbs about Wisdom
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- Step by step the ladder is climbed. — Incremental progress through consistent effort achieves what rushing toward ambitious goa…
- Whoso lacketh a stock, his gain's not worth a chip. — Without capital to reinvest profits, modest earnings disappear into daily expenses rather…
- The full stomach loatheth the honeycomb, but to the hungry every bitter thing is sweet. — Hunger transforms perception; satisfied people reject what starving people gratefully acc…
From our tongue twisters
- Корабли лавировали, лавировали, да не вылавировали. (Korabli lavirovali, lavirovali, da ne vylavirovali.) — One verb, three inflections, pure 'lav/vir' torture — the word grows with every repetitio…
- W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie i Szczebrzeszyn z tego słynie. — The opening of a poem by Julian Tuwim, now Poland's most-quoted tongue twister — the cons…
- Stół z powyłamywanymi nogami. — Six words, almost no vowels — a single noun phrase that non-Polish speakers find impossib…