Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do
Meaning: Sometimes unconventional paths lead to correct outcomes.
Origin: A wordplay joke on the proverb "two wrongs don't make a right," turning "right" from correct into a direction: three left turns bring a driver around to the right. It circulates as folk humor, and no author has been traced.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, and Japanese
- French: Il faut parfois prendre un chemin détourné (literally: Sometimes one must take a roundabout path)
- Spanish: A veces el camino más largo es el mejor (literally: Sometimes the longest road is the best)
- Japanese: 遠回りが近道 (Tōmawari ga chikamichi) (literally: The long way is the shortcut)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Great minds think alike — Intelligent people often reach the same conclusions.
- Cross that bridge when you come to it — Deal with problems only when they arise.
- All roads lead to Rome — There are many ways to reach the same goal.
- You're never too old to learn — Learning is a lifelong process.
- There's no such thing as a free lunch — Everything has a hidden cost.
- Hope for the best, prepare for the worst — Optimism should be balanced with practical preparation.
From our tongue twisters
- 吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮，不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮。(Chī pútao bù tǔ pútao pí, bù chī pútao dào tǔ pútao pí.) — A 'pú/tǔ/pí' drill with reversing logic — the negations flip the meaning as the tongue tr…
- 黑化肥发黑会挥发；灰化肥发灰会挥发。(Hēihuàféi fā hēi huì huīfā; huīhuàféi fā huī huì huīfā.) — A 'hēi/huī/huì/fā' four-tone minefield — the tones alone change every meaning.
- De kat krabt de krullen van de trap. — A 'kr' cluster drill — Dutch consonant pileups that beginners approach with dread.