The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones
Meaning: Great accomplishments are only possible through gradual, persistent small efforts.
Origin: Often credited to Confucius, but it is not in the Analects. A related genuine passage in Book 9 of the Analects compares self-improvement to building a mound: stop one basketful short, and the failure is your own.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: L'homme qui déplace une montagne commence par emporter de petites pierres (literally: The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying small stones)
- Spanish: El hombre que mueve una montaña empieza llevando pequeñas piedras (literally: The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying small stones)
- Japanese: 山を動かす者は小石を運ぶことから始める (Yama wo ugokasu mono wa koishi wo hakobu koto kara hajimeru) (literally: He who moves a mountain begins by carrying small stones)
- German: Steter Tropfen höhlt den Stein (literally: A constant drop hollows out the stone)
More proverbs about Perseverance
- It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop — Progress at any pace is still progress; what matters is persisting, not speed.
- Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance — Long-term persistence is more powerful than raw ability or brute force.
- You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great — Greatness is not a prerequisite for beginning; beginning is the path to greatness.
- He who limps is still walking — Even imperfect progress is still progress; do not let imperfection stop you.
- Stars cannot shine without darkness — Hardship and struggle are what allow our greatest qualities to become visible.
- Even the tallest tower began with a single brick — Every great achievement starts with one humble first step.