tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220245342024-03-12T04:51:20.196+00:00Power up with ProverbsProverbs store the wisdom of ages in short, memorable lines with several layers of meaning. This blog states a weekly proverb and explores its meaning. Sir Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, war leader, writer, painter, historian, bon viveur, whose mother was a United States citizen, recommended that people lacking formal education to learn proverbs.
"The Wisdom of Nations lies in their Proverbs... Collect and learn them". William Penn, founder of the State of Pennsylvania.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger358125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-36632485314200780592010-09-05T07:30:00.001+01:002011-12-04T17:06:08.479+00:00He that keeps malice harbors a viper in his breastMost religions and many schools of psychology teach the importance of forgiveness. The problem with bearing grudges is that they can distort the personality and over time make a person prone to depression and ill health.
Now, it seems to be counter intuitive to be totally forgiving, and commonnsense does seem to bear out that if you are weak you are more likely to be attacked. It follows that Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-86223916549193825152010-08-29T08:45:00.006+01:002011-12-03T14:32:28.319+00:00He that is silent, gathers stonesAt first reading this might seem nonsensical. Further thought builds a picture of an angry person suppressing their rage while gathering stones to throw at his enemy. In days gone by, people without weapons found that freely available stones were a pretty effective way of attacking a group of opponents.
The "stones" in the modern world will probably refer metaphorically to verbal weapons of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-22052479267257524702010-08-22T09:40:00.000+01:002011-12-03T14:32:55.930+00:00He that swells in prosperity will shrink in adversityWhen things go well for you, you begin to think you must be clever. People look up to you and you get a thrill from their envious stares. They obviously recognise how important and successful you are. They try to imitate you but you can leave them standing.
Sometimes success is false. You imagine it is your own effort and ability that has brought it about. But what if circumstances change? And Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-78255070861863614152010-08-15T08:22:00.000+01:002011-12-04T17:08:06.733+00:00Every hill has its valley
It is hardly news that ups tend to be followed by downs but perhaps it is wise to pause and think about it occasionally.
When everything in your life goes smoothly does that mean you are heading for a fall? Not necessarily but a sudden rise is likely to have a correction after it and in the long term things tend to revert to the mean.
The path through hilly country is often more enjoyable thanUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-10705583248881085332010-08-08T08:47:00.000+01:002010-08-08T08:47:21.114+01:00Every inch of joy has an ell of annoyNo, this is not a misprint; an "ell" is a measurement based on the length of a man's arm. An inch was based on the thickness of a thumb.
A lot of life is boring and tedious but it is the moments of joy that reward us and they are usually fleeting. The donkey trots along its stony path with great reluctance but is tempted to continue by the joyful anticipation of the momentary joy of eating a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-48860224720512361312010-08-02T07:30:00.000+01:002010-08-02T07:30:15.253+01:00Desires are nourished by delaysAny beautiful lady knows that arriving a little late for an occasion heightens anticipation. Comic timing depends on a delay to raise expectations before the punch line. There is also a saying: anticipation is nine tenths the pleasure.
When something you expect does not arrive on time it can be annoying but it does give you time to reflect, examine and evaluate the expected. A child not arrivingUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-25834027070476558322010-07-25T07:21:00.000+01:002010-07-25T07:21:14.677+01:00The morning sun never lasts a dayThis would appear to be a variation of "Make hay while the sun shines". The sun might last for a day but the morning sun is different from the midday sun or the evening sun. For a start, the range of temperatures varies considerably. We might also be more enthusiastic and energetic in the morning. "Well begun is half done" so it pays to get off on the right foot.
"The early bird catches theUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-16616789128485305952010-07-18T08:12:00.000+01:002010-07-18T08:12:24.976+01:00Every horse thinks its pack the heaviest
Everyone Carries a burden of some sort: emotional, financial or relationship related. We feel the stress and strain and it hurts. When we're children we learn to keep many of our worries to ourselves. Nobody likes a whiner.
Our friends might be putting on a brave face and so we do not know that they also are suffering. We think it is only ourselves. Sometimes it is only when we reach Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-28766009727695392752010-07-11T08:17:00.002+01:002010-07-11T08:17:00.825+01:00Elbow grease is the best polish
You can sit about for ages making great plans and forming great schemes but unless you take action nothing will happen. Having a clear idea of what you're going to do before you start is a good policy. Well begun is half done, but without steady effort there will not be a good outcome.
In order to motivate your self it sometimes helps to visualize the end result, to continue the metaphor, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-5242008588427580252010-07-04T08:05:00.000+01:002010-07-04T08:05:11.111+01:00Deep waters run still
We have all delighted at the sight and sound of a babbling brook. The foamy, silvery, bubbly water chuckles merrily over the pebbles. A deep pool is dark and mysterious. Perhaps fat trout lurk in its depth.
This is a simple, long used metaphor illustrating the different types of human mind. Some people chatter away and say very little. Other say little but convey a lot.
The chatterbox Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-78280126980273730692010-06-26T08:35:00.000+01:002010-06-26T08:35:09.226+01:00Debt is the worst povertyIf you are poor you are poor and you have to cut your coat according to your cloth, how ever poor that cloth might be. If you are in debt you have entered negative territory and someone else owns your coat. Any effort you put in to struggle free is absorbed by your debts. You cannot save a little to see you through. You cannot invest a little surplus to improve your lot.
Avoiding unnecessary Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-73154269599507428292010-06-20T07:33:00.001+01:002010-06-20T07:33:00.679+01:00Second thoughts are bestWe all tend to react to a difficult situation with emotion. Because of this our first response can be inappropriate. The expression " to sleep on it" tells us of the importance of taking time to consider our reaction.
Taking time to reply gives us the opportunity to reflect and use our powers of reasoning to decide the best ways to deal with the problem. Writing an E mail and firing it off in Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-34419856870511998382010-06-13T18:13:00.001+01:002010-06-13T18:13:00.292+01:00To promise and gives nothing is comfort for a foolThe first thought that comes to mind when reading that is: politician. People in government usually know that by the time they leave office the promises they made will not have come to pass. But it will be someone else's problem.
Beware the Greeks bearing gifts is a very old saying that seems to apply to those whose business is government. The gifts handed out by politicians have been paid Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-86454682285807539482010-06-06T08:14:00.000+01:002010-06-06T08:14:31.920+01:00May you're shadow never grow less.
Whitesmoke's free trial Don't let your written English let you down.
The length of your shadow depends on your height. The shorter you are the shorter your shadow. This is of course referring to the height of your reputation.
Our standing in the eyes of others depends on how they assess us. This metaphor is a simple way of praising someone but at the same time warning of the dangers of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-38766622983711371102010-05-30T07:57:00.003+01:002010-05-30T07:57:00.652+01:00Crumbs are also breadEveryone wants a decent amount of the things they desire. But you don’t always get what you want. The Scots, renowned for their thrifty ways, have a saying: Manys a mickle maks a muckle: Many small things make a great thing. The Americans talk of nickel and dime operations with disdain and like to identify with the big and bold.
Reality for many people means small pickings are the only ones Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-55064983376204722082010-05-23T07:52:00.001+01:002010-05-23T07:52:00.181+01:00He that will thrive must rise at fiveThere are only so many hours in a day. If you want to get on there is no point in wasting your time luxuriating in bed. If you buzz with energy and activity while your dozy competitors reach for the toast you have a head start. The early bird catches the worm.
If your work goes well because you started early and you see good progress you go to bed with a clear conscience and a sense of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-89402248433361839662010-05-15T17:56:00.000+01:002010-05-15T17:56:38.606+01:00On a good bargain think twice
Whitesmoke's free trial Don't let your written English let you down.
It might be impolite to look a gift horse in the mouth but when offered something at a bargain price there is a need for wariness. If it is too good to be true then it probably is.
It is not in the nature of acquisitive humans to give things away - we seem to have a built in instinct to grab and hold. Altruism is to some Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-52357657290460162572010-05-09T08:14:00.000+01:002010-05-09T08:14:53.704+01:00Good clothes open all doors
This saying will be music to the ears of tailors - and who knows - perhaps one of that ancient trade began it.
Do not judge a book by its cover is another old saying that seems to contradict the first.
What we are learning here seems to be that good presentation will catch the eye and start you off on the right foot. Having impressed someone with your appearance or with a book, drawn a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-35547859560324456162010-05-02T07:44:00.000+01:002010-05-02T07:44:09.394+01:00Ready money is soon away
You will have heard people saying: money burns a hole in his pocket, so you are familiar with the idea that it is always a temptation to have ready money available. There are so many tempting opportunities to spend that it is easy to find an excuse to indulge if the cash is easily to hand.
This proneness to temptation means that it is prudent to save for a rainy day by putting your surplus Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-79917936197664470182010-04-25T08:14:00.001+01:002010-04-25T08:14:00.307+01:00He who has nothing can do nothing
A farmer with land can grow food; a carpenter with tools and wood can make something to sell; a person with education can teach and earn money.
This saying opines on the importance of what we have, material or intellectual. No doubt this originated in the days before social welfare when the poor were left to starve, but the lesson that can be taken from it is the importance of giving your Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-26474040294196432922010-04-18T08:01:00.000+01:002010-04-18T08:01:33.372+01:00God defend me from still water and I'll keep myself from the rough.
Still water runs deep, and is generally regarded as dangerous, whereas the shallower ripples are safe to ford.
The big dangers of life are often such that we can do little about them, and we pray to God, if religious, or trust in fate if we are not, that they can be avoided.
Those problems that are within our individual and group strengths we should tackle in a prompt and wise manner. To Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-18899622101853614802010-04-11T07:59:00.000+01:002010-04-11T07:59:18.219+01:00He is idle that might be better employed
Do you ever get the feeling that you are wasting your time no matter how busy you are? We have a built in mechanism for checking the worthwhileness of what we do. Without it we would spend our time on trivia and irrelevant pursuits.
It is necessary from time to time to take stock of your activities and decide if your time is being used in a way that is likely to fulfill your goals.
Lost timeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-47326757955212775092010-04-04T08:54:00.000+01:002010-04-04T08:54:15.389+01:00Spilt wine is worse than waterSpilt wine is worse than water
Spill some water on your clothes and it will soon dry with no harm done. Wine will most probably leave an unpleasant mark and a smell. You might also say that the wine cost money and the water was free.
The originators of proverbs and sayings worth remembering rarely content themselves with the obvious and this example requires further study.
Shakespeare has a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-20773684147576098412010-03-31T13:37:00.001+01:002010-04-01T08:16:05.390+01:00This blog has moved This blog is now located at http://proverbs.clarkscript.com/. You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here. For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to http://proverbs.clarkscript.com/feeds/posts/default. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22024534.post-72428812039601438032010-03-27T05:28:00.001+00:002011-12-04T17:09:45.318+00:00God who sends the wound sends the medicine
In days gone by people believed in something called "the doctrine of signatures". This stated that a plant had some relationship to its use, and that could be determined from its shape or the location in which it grew.
The 17th-century herbalist, William Coles, believed walnuts were good for head ailments because, "they Have the perfect Signatures of the Head".
The modern scientist might be Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0