The bird that can sing and will not sing, must be made to sing.
Meaning: Talent unused is wasted potential; those capable of contributing must be compelled to fulfill their duty.
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 Challenge
- Who so blind as he that will not see? — Willful ignorance is the most complete blindness; refusing truth is worse than lacking it.
- Whether you boil snow or pound it, you will have but water from it. — Effort cannot change the fundamental nature of something inherently worthless or insignif…
- It is easy to bowl down hill. — Gravity assists destructive momentum, making harm effortless once negative forces align.
- A bribe will enter without knocking. — Corruption bypasses all legitimate barriers and procedures that protect institutions from…
- A burnt child dreads the fire. — Pain from past harm creates lasting caution, sometimes excessively, toward similar danger…
- Where the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. — Predators and opportunists inevitably congregate wherever death or decay promises easy su…
From our tongue twisters
- Khadak Singh ke khadakne se khadakti hain khidkiyan, khidkiyon ke khadakne se khadakte hain Khadak Singh. — A 'kh/kh/kh' recursive loop — each clause triggers the other, like a rattling chain react…
- Chandu ke chacha ne Chandu ki chachi ko chandi ki chamach se chatni chatayi. — A 'ch' symphony from start to finish — Hindi's palatal affricate in every single word.
- Şu çam sakızı çan sakızı olmuş, çan sakızı şan sakızı olmuş. — A 'ş/ç/şan/çan' duel — Turkish's two close sibilants at war with each other.