There is no rule without an exception.
Meaning: Absolute rules inevitably encounter situations where their strict application breaks down or proves inappropriate.
Origin: An old proverb with Latin roots in legal reasoning. It is related to the much-misused "the exception proves the rule," which first appeared in English in 1664 and is sometimes explained as using "prove" in its old sense of "test."
More proverbs about Wisdom
- He that runs fastest gets the prize. — Swift action and competitive urgency often secure advantages before slower competitors ca…
- Sadness and gladness succeed each other. — Life's emotional states naturally alternate, so neither despair nor joy remains permanent.
- Make not your sail too large for your ship. — Ambition must match your actual resources, or you'll capsize under the weight of your own…
- Salmon and sermon have their season in Lent. — Both salmon and sermons flourish during Lent because scarcity and spiritual focus make th…
- Catch a bird by putting salt on its tail. — Impossible tasks require absurd methods; chasing what flees demands accepting futility.
- You can't make ropes of sand. — Attempting to bind unstable elements together will fail; fragile foundations cannot suppo…