They that cannot do as they will, must do as they can.
Meaning: When circumstances limit your options, pragmatism requires accepting what's achievable rather than lamenting what's impossible.
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
- If one will not, another will. — Refusing an opportunity doesn't eliminate it; someone else will eagerly seize what you re…
- Where the will is ready, the feet are light. — Motivation and eagerness make difficult journeys feel effortless and swift.
- It's an ill wind that blows nobody good. — Even harmful circumstances benefit someone, so misfortune rarely affects everyone equally.
- You cannot drive a windmill with a pair of bellows. — Attempting small, inadequate efforts cannot generate the sustained force needed for signi…
- Tread on a worm and it will turn. — Even the meekest, most powerless creature will resist when pushed to its absolute limit o…
- Zeal without knowledge is fire without light. — Passionate effort without understanding produces only destruction and confusion, never pr…
From our compliments & insults
- Tu es mon rayon de soleil — A warm way to tell someone they brighten your day.
- Joli comme un cœur — Utterly charming or adorable.
- Tu as un cœur d'or — You are genuinely kind and generous.