When the going gets tough, the tough get going
Meaning: Strong people don't give up when faced with challenges.
Origin: A coaching motto from American football. The earliest printed examples, from 1953 and 1954, quote the coaches John Thomas and Frank Leahy. It is often credited to Joseph P. Kennedy, father of President John F. Kennedy, but no evidence confirms that. It plays on two senses of "going": conditions become hard, so the hardy get moving.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, and Japanese
- French: Quand ça devient difficile, les durs se mettent en route (literally: When it gets difficult, the tough get going)
- Spanish: Cuando las cosas se ponen difíciles, los duros se ponen en marcha (literally: When things get tough, the tough get going)
- Japanese: 困難な時こそ強い者が立ち上がる (Konnan na toki koso tsuyoi mono ga tachiagaru) (literally: In difficult times, the strong rise up)
More proverbs about Challenge
- When life gives you lemons, make lemonade — Make the best of a bad situation.
- Necessity is the mother of invention — Difficult situations inspire creative solutions.
- Fortune favors the bold — Taking risks often leads to rewards.
- Strike while the iron is hot — Act quickly when the opportunity presents itself.
- If you can't beat them, join them — If you can't win against something, align with it.
- You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs — Progress requires sacrifice.