Home › Proverbs

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

Meaning: Good plans are worthless without follow-through.

Origin: Attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, 12th century.

Translations

  • French: L'enfer est pavé de bonnes intentions (literally: Hell is paved with good intentions)
  • Spanish: El camino al infierno está empedrado de buenas intenciones (literally: The road to hell is paved with good intentions)
  • Japanese: 地獄への道は善意で舗装されている (Jigoku e no michi wa zen'i de hosō sarete iru) (literally: The road to hell is paved with good intentions)

More proverbs about Morality

  • The truth shall set you free — Honesty and truth lead to liberation.
  • To err is human, to forgive divine — Making mistakes is natural; forgiving them is noble.
  • Live and let live — Be tolerant of others' choices and lifestyles.
  • The pot calling the kettle black — Criticizing someone for a flaw you yourself possess.
  • Give credit where credit is due — Acknowledge others' contributions fairly.
  • Practice what you preach — Live according to the principles you advocate.

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…