The shortest answer is doing the thing itself
Meaning: Action is more effective than deliberation; the most direct response to a challenge is to confront it.
Origin: George Herbert's Outlandish Proverbs (1640) gives it as "The shortest answer is doing." Herbert collected foreign sayings rather than inventing them, and this one makes the same point as "actions speak louder than words": a deed settles what argument cannot.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, and Japanese
- French: La réponse la plus courte est de faire la chose elle-même (literally: The shortest answer is doing the thing itself)
- Spanish: La respuesta más corta es hacer la cosa misma (literally: The shortest answer is doing the thing itself)
- Japanese: 最短の答えはそれ自体をすることだ (Saitan no kotae wa sorejishin wo suru koto da) (literally: The shortest answer is to do the thing itself)
More proverbs about Morality
- Don't get above your raising — Humble origins should temper ambition; remember where you came from and maintain modest v…
- Trust your friends, but cut the cards — Verify even trusted relationships through precautions; friendship doesn't eliminate the n…
- You attract more flies with honey than vinegar — Kindness and pleasantness persuade people more effectively than hostility or harshness.
- Good ale is meat, drink, and cloth. — A hearty drink can seem to nourish, refresh, and warm you all at once.
- Steal the goose, and give the giblets in alms. — Token charity from what you stole does nothing to redeem the theft.
- Anger is short-lived in a good man. — A good person's anger passes quickly and leaves no lasting grudge.
From our compliments & insults
- Tienes mucho arte — You have natural flair, charm, and creative talent — an effortless quality that can't be…
- Eres todo un personaje — Said with deep affection: you're unforgettable, one of a kind, impossible to replace.
- Sei una forza della natura — You're unstoppable — your energy and drive are bigger than any obstacle.