Living a life is not an easy task, especially if you want to live it well. There are things you have to learn from your own experience as you go, but there are also things that are universal and don’t change as centuries pass by. From time immemorial, people have tried to accumulate that knowledge and relay it to the coming generations. This is how proverbs came to exist.
A proverb is a short saying, usually just one or two sentences, that contains a piece of truth about life. They are very succinct and express a deep philosophical concept in just a few words. These old sayings come from the time when people still very much relied on oral communication and instead of writing things down, would just repeat them from one person to another until they became common knowledge.
As it often happens when things are disseminated by word of mouth, some parts of proverbs have been forgotten. Some of the common proverbs we use today initially had a different meaning, but parts of it got lost over time. That’s why if you want to know the full meaning of a particular proverb, it can be helpful to consult a scientific source.
Interestingly, some common sayings can be found in different cultures. Though worded in various ways, they essentially portray the same truth. This shows that some things are equally important for everyone, no matter where you come from.
For this article, we collected popular proverbs from all over the world. Which one do you like the most? Let us know in the comments if you have any favorite sayings that you live by.
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Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Actions speak louder than words.
There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out.
This. Ignorance is normal, there's always things we don't know. Willful ignorance is another matter. Ignorance can be fixed. But you can't fix willful ignorance (willful ignorance can also rightly be called stupid)
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
All good things must come to an end.
Also, everything will be alright in the end. If it’s not alright - it’s not the end.
Better late than never.
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it.
I always heard it continues as follows:. You can give a man a brain, but you can't make him think .
Knowledge is power.
Laughter is the best medicine.
Unless you have an actual medical condition, then get medicine from a doctor.
Even though you know a thousand things, ask the man who knows one.
The early bird gets the worm.
It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Coffee and love taste best when hot.
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Love is blind.
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Those who wish to sing always find a song.
If you can walk you can dance. If you can talk you can sing.
A watched pot never boils.
Beggars can’t be choosers.
Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Learn to walk before you run.
A more prescient one is ' learn to swim before you jump into deep water'
Always put your best foot forward.
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
Measure twice, cut one.
A mother understands what a child does not say.
Easy come, easy go.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
Time is money.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
It took I believe three years. In other words something may take longer than you think it will
First things first.
Don’t make a mountain out of an anthill (or molehill).
Practice what you preach.
Good things come to those who wait.
A stitch in time saves nine.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Some men go through a forest and see no firewood.
Birds of a feather flock together.
The grass is always greener on the other side.
All that glitters is not gold.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.
Beauty is only skin-deep.
"..., but no man ever fell for an attractive pair of kidneys", as PTerry wrote.
While the cat’s away, the mice will play.
It never rains, but it pours.
Don’t cross the bridge until you come to it.
The cat is out of the bag.
No news is good news.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Practice makes perfect.
Again It is something you would think is right but let us look at the evidence....politicians have been in power for many years and they still haven't got things right.
Still waters run deep.
Begin to weave and God will give the thread.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
No man is an island.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Strike while the iron is hot.
It’s no use crying over spilled milk.
You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to act.
Don't cast pearls before swine.
Pearls: knowledge, Swine: animals Don't waste your time sharing all your ideas and wisdom with those who are incapable of appreciating it or doing anything with it.
Walk the walk, talk the talk.
Money doesn’t grow on trees.
Hunger is felt by a slave and hunger is felt by a king.
That is a very abstract analogy. Might as well compare a missing shingle in a palace roof with a homeless person's leaky cardboard fridge box and say both their homes suffer in the rain. They sure do, but for one of them it's a permanent danger to their health while for the other one it's a momentary inconvenience equivalent to a mild itch on the nose.
Don’t put too many irons in the fire.
As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.
Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.
After the feast comes the reckoning.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
Only in some very abbreviated dictionaries (thanks again, PTerry) and if you're a sanctimonious, conceited prick.
He who hesitates is lost.
My friend was hesitant about getting on the plane. The one that hit a tower on 9-11.
Barking dogs, seldom bite.
Blood is thicker than water.
An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.
*hands, not brain. You should do some research before you post this stuff. You're not very good at it.
Edit. My brother met her at group theropy, after his break down . Should have realized: his words,not mine .
Edit. My brother met her at group theropy, after his break down . Should have realized: his words,not mine .
