When all is consumed repentance comes too late.
Meaning: Excess pursued without restraint leaves no resources or time for correction once damage becomes irreversible.
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 Wisdom
- Content is the true philosopher's stone. — Accepting what you have transforms ordinary existence into genuine wealth and peace.
- A contented mind is a continual feast. — Satisfaction with what you have provides lasting emotional nourishment superior to physic…
- He that hath nothing is not contented. — Deprivation breeds perpetual discontent; those lacking resources cannot achieve satisfact…
- The greatest wealth is contentment with a little. — Modest sufficiency brings more peace than endless pursuit of accumulation.
- Corn is cleansed with the wind, and the soul with chastening. — Removing chaff from grain requires force; similarly, moral purification demands disciplin…
- In wiving and thriving men should take counsel of all the world. — Marriage and business success require diverse perspectives, not solitary decision-making.
From our compliments & insults
- Che spettacolo! — You look absolutely stunning — a spontaneous burst of admiration for someone's appearance.
- Du bist ein Goldstück — You're a real gem — priceless, irreplaceable, and deeply appreciated.
- Du hast ein Händchen dafür — You have a real knack — a natural gift that makes difficult things look easy.