Some Classic Proverbs That Don’t Always Apply
Who Said They Have To Be True 100% of the Time?
Imagine you have a coworker who is always willing to stay late. “What a team player,” everyone says. And what a team player that coworker is indeed. You wish you could be more like your coworker and stay extra hours. However, you soon start to realize that being a team player at work has limits. You barely make it to work in the mornings most days because you give rides to your spouse, children, or friends. You cannot work late because you must run errands or work a second job. The proverb “the early (or late) bird gets the worm” has its bounds.
So many values or proverbs are certainly timeless in their own right. However, being timeless does not mean that they necessarily apply all of the time. Let’s explore a few proverbs that have proven themselves to be priceless gems of wisdom but are not always suited to every occasion.
A Stitch In Time May Not Always Save Nine
Ah, this wondrous phrase “A stitch in time saves nine” was first recorded in 1732 and fits seamlessly into countless domains. Not only is a literal thread and needle stitching job easier to complete when fabric first rips, but the sky is the limit for times when the figurative early stitch also prevents worse wear and tear. We understand how important it is to take our car to the mechanic right when it first starts acting up or how critical it may be to visit the doctor after the first signs of ache, pain, or ailment.
But can we always ensure that catching a problem early will prevent things from getting worse? Sometimes, even our best efforts will not help the problem much. The car we purchase may turn out to be a lemon; some object may rip our jeans to shreds. Those minor aches and pains may turn out to be a chronic condition that we must learn to live with. Certainly, we must do what we can to alleviate problems and prevent worse occurrences. But we must never forget most things are beyond our control or direct understanding.
Slow (or Fast) and Steady Are Valuable, But Why Always Winning and Racing?
Coming from the famous fable of Aesop, we certainly recognize the profound meaning of the phrase “Slow and steady wins the race” in today’s fast-paced world. Like the infamous hare, we get so complacent with many things moving at the speed of sound that we do not remember most things unfold more slowly. There is immeasurable value in slowing down and doing things more…well, wholeheartedly. Strange how home-cooked meals with natural ingredients can help add years to our lives or how a few hours away from technology can improve relationships.
There are so many nuances to this adage, for sure. Let’s not forget that speed’s value is relative to the challenge or race. You certainly do not want to take your merry time in baseball or racecar driving, but go too fast in golf or bowling and you are bound to hurt your game. Another thing to consider is the value of competition, especially in business and politics. However, the elephant in the room will soon make itself known. Is life simply about winning? Does everything have to be a race? Another common proverb is that life is a journey and not a destination.
Additionally, when we do not seek to use our relationships and activities as a means to an end but rather as ends in themselves, some of the greatest riches unfold. Playing a game with family members is seldom about who wins or comes in last, but about spending time with those loved ones. How ironic is it that our jobs quickly lead to burnout yet we seldom experience an energy drain when volunteering or working hard at a hobby in our free time? Yes, slow and steady may win many races but other times we need to put aside the winning and racing altogether.
There’s More Than One Way To…Well, Okay Then.
In 1840, the American writer Seba Smith coined the phrase “There is more than one way to skin a cat.” A popular commercialized version of the phrase has become eponymous with a famous chocolate candy: “There is no wrong way to eat a Reese’s.”
I’m a huge champion of this phrase. Certainly, there is more than one solution to any imaginable problem, and multiple perspectives are needed to view different aspects of any reality. But this becomes a condition so obvious to human experience it need not always be mentioned. It’s a given, for instance, that if I take my car to the auto mechanic for a tune-up they will not review or analyze most parts of my car’s engine or frame. Doing so would take extensive time and money, and probably beyond their expertise. The same can be said for the amazing craft of writing. You certainly have the unbounded vastness of the writing process before you the moment you bring any word to a blank page. You could always go back and keep revising any piece. But at some point, you just want to reach a stopping point and move on to other projects.
Indeed, it is critical to remember the unbounded complexity of any reality in the universe and to consider multiple points of view involving any topic. However, we are only allotted so much time to begin savoring the unlimited riches unfolding each second. So, we must narrow our scope and focus. Doing so does not mean we forget the unlimited vastness of things, but rather like a book we can fold the pages on certain worlds we plan to revisit someday(or perhaps some future life).
Can You Have Your Cake And Eat It Too? Well, It Depends.
Going back to the early 1500s, the phrase “You cannot have your cake and eat it too” is well known in domains as distinct as rhetoric, politics, philosophy, or business. Like other proverbs, its meaning can be difficult to explain but easier to detect. We all can point to examples of people attempting to argue one premise but then turn around and offer support for a completely contrary premise. And just like politicians are often known to do, no one can go too far in life without realizing someone who promises one thing but then turns around and does the exact opposite.
However, as we have explored earlier, there is a level of unbounded complexity to any reality in the universe. Multiple points of view may often contrast, but all hold proportional value and truth. Additionally, in the universe, we find countless paradoxes to be true. Quantum particles can be superimposed in multiple states while some bacteria thrive without sunlight. This level of unbounded complexity does not mean anything is up for grabs. Rather, critical analysis and hard work become more essential in the quest for truth. We do not usually have to try to eat our cake once we’ve had it. But we do have to leave enough room for all sides of the croissant to be buttered.
So, we have explored but a few proverbs that may not be applicable a large part of the time.
Does that make them less valuable or reduce their timeless and wondrous nature? Not necessarily. As we explore paradoxes, let us remember that something can be bounded in one sense but unbounded in countless others. So perhaps we must wrestle with times when we might be able to have our cake and butter multiple sides of the croissant. Maybe some days we might not be able to remember just how to slow down and enjoy the race, let alone detach ourselves from the race altogether. Even if a stitch in time does not save much while we may not even be able to open the Reese’s wrapper to try new ways to savor the sweets inside. If we find ourselves in confusion or disarray over any of this, let us take comfort that the proverbs themselves will not be proverbs until life has illustrated them.
