Tis hard to sail o'er the sea in an egg-shell.
Meaning: Fragile vessels cannot survive harsh conditions; attempting impossible tasks with inadequate tools invites failure.
Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.
More proverbs about Perseverance
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- He that endureth is not overcome. — Persistence through hardship defeats adversity that would crush the impatient or those wh…
- There's never enough where nothing's left. — Hoarding depletes resources faster than sharing them, making scarcity worse for everyone.
- Tis a hard battle where none escapes. — In conflicts where everyone suffers losses, victory itself becomes meaningless and costly.
- He had need rise betimes that would please everybody. — Rising early cannot satisfy conflicting demands; some desires are inherently incompatible.
- You should never touch your eye but with your elbow. — Protecting your eyes requires maintaining impossible distance from contamination.
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