Waste not, want not

Meaning: Using things carefully and avoiding waste prevents future need and scarcity.

Origin: English proverb first recorded in 1772; Benjamin Franklin included similar ideas in Poor Richard's Almanack.

Translations

French: Rien de perdu, rien de manqué (literally: Nothing lost, nothing missed)
Spanish: No desperdicies, no pasarás necesidad (literally: Don't waste, you won't be in need)
Japanese: 無駄をなくせば欠乏もない (Muda wo nakuseba ketsubō mo nai) (literally: If you eliminate waste, there is no want)

Let the punishment fit the crime — Penalties should be proportional and appropriate to the offense committed.
He who permits wickedness commands it — Silently allowing wrongdoing makes you as responsible as the wrongdoer.
The truth is rarely pure and never simple — Reality is complex and nuanced; anyone claiming simple certainty should be viewed with sk…
Character is what you do when no one is watching — True virtue is shown not in public performances but in private actions when there are no…
The shortest answer is doing the thing itself — Action is more effective than deliberation; the most direct response to a challenge is to…
Don't get above your raising — Humble origins should temper ambition; remember where you came from and maintain modest v…

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