EXPANSION OF PROVERBS
1. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush
A man catches a bird and he is not satisfied with it. He finds two birds in a bush nearby and wants to catch them. While trying to catch the birds in the bush, he may lose the bird in his hand. He will not be able to catch two birds in the bush either. In the same way, a person who has some money with him will not be satisfied with it. Instead, he will invest the small amount of money in a business with ambitious expectations. If fate decides, he may even lose his investment, not to speak of any profit. He will lose everything. So, we should understand that the bird in the hand is more valuable than the two birds in the bush and contentment is essence of a peaceful mind
2. A friend in need is a friend indeed
Good friendship is an asset in our life. We cannot expect that everyone who talks to us are our best friends. They are our acquaintances. We should be careful while making good friendship. Many people come to us for many things. They take our help and leave. But when we are in troubles, they never turn up. They disappear at once. Such people cannot be our real friends. A person, who comes to our rescue in times of adversity, is a real friend. Such friends are very rare in this world. This proverb says that a friend should help us when we are in troubles. So, a friend in need is a friend indeed.
3. All that glitters is not gold
Gold is a very precious metal and it shines. Glass only glitters and never shines. But the glittering glass may even outshine gold apparently. This comparison is like that of salt with camphor that resembles the same in colour but their tastes are different. In the same way, some people in the society seem to be like glittering gold but actually they are glittering glass. They pose like they are very respectable.
EXPANSION OF PROVERBS
145Additional Material
But they are worthless and useless charlatans in the society. The proverb cautions us to be careful in identifying such people.
4. An idle man’s brain is a devil’s workshop
Laziness, idleness or sloth is one of the seven deadly sins. The devil keeps his workshop in an idle man’s brain and prospers in his wicked business. The bee, the ant, and even the watchdog in our house do their work sincerely. We must prove ourselves as their betters in hard work. Great people like A P J Abdul Kalam and Mother Theresa worked incessantly for two noble causes. One worked for the development science and technology in India. And the other served the poor people for the cause of their economic development. We should remember that they sacrificed their lives for the cause of others. At least we must work for ourselves. We must plan our work in the mind and keep the mind busy with the ideas of the work. We can do our work efficiently. Then, the devil cannot enter our brains.
5. A rolling stone gathers no moss
This is true in the case of a person who keeps on changing his professions in his life. There are some fickle minded people who constantly change their profession. These people are like rolling stones. A rolling stone never gathers moss. These people cannot acquire the required skills as a result of constant change in their profession. As the famous saying goes, such people are Jack of all trades, but masters of none. They lead a purposeless life and are criticized by everyone in the society. Such people are not an asset to the family or the society they are living in. A person of this kind of attitude cannot be a role model even to his own children. He is an epitome of instability. Hence, one should carefully decide upon one’s profession and stick to it to develop and grow as an example for others to follow.
6. A stitch in time saves nine
When a shirt is torn and needs stitching, it has to be done immediately. Initially a single stitch may prevent the shirt from becoming bigger. So when action taken quickly a stitch is enough. On the other hand, the delay will make the tear bigger and bigger. Then, nine stitches may be required to prevent it. The same principle may be applied in our lives also. The faults we make are to be rectified in the initial stage otherwise the defects become permanent and stay with us forever. Then it becomes highly impossible to eliminate them. Therefore, a stitch in time saves nine.
7. Every man is the architect of his own future
Any person can decide his own future with his actions. Generally, people comment on us in many ways. They call someone lazy, someone hard working and someone else intelligent. We get these comments because of our deeds in the past. The present points back to the past. If the present actions are taken care of, better rewards await in future. If any one wants to be successful, he must have a proper planning about implementing his ideas that are going to happen. This means, he has to be watchful about all his current actions. Since we build our future brick by brick through our present actions, we are indeed the architects of our own future.
146 Helpmate
8. Example is better than precept
Precept is only a theory. While precept refers to an abstract idea, an example presents a concrete fact. We can speak of many percepts. Without examples, these percepts become useless For example, work hard and you can achieve anything is a precept. The life of a man is a practical lesson which teaches us better morals than the empty rhetoric about ideals. One good act speaks volumes about charity, but a hundred volumes on charity may not inspire anybody.
9. Failures are the stepping stones to success
A person cannot succeed or come to lime light over night. Before he gets success, he has to face many failures. We should remember that failures form an essential part of any success. If we understand this truth, we will not be discouraged by our failures. Instead, we work harder to get success. Many scientists work day and night to get some result of their work. The success will tantalize them in the form of failures. But failures never discourage them from getting success. They know that failures are the stepping stones to success.
1. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush
A man catches a bird and he is not satisfied with it. He finds two birds in a bush nearby and wants to catch them. While trying to catch the birds in the bush, he may lose the bird in his hand. He will not be able to catch two birds in the bush either. In the same way, a person who has some money with him will not be satisfied with it. Instead, he will invest the small amount of money in a business with ambitious expectations. If fate decides, he may even lose his investment, not to speak of any profit. He will lose everything. So, we should understand that the bird in the hand is more valuable than the two birds in the bush and contentment is essence of a peaceful mind
2. A friend in need is a friend indeed
Good friendship is an asset in our life. We cannot expect that everyone who talks to us are our best friends. They are our acquaintances. We should be careful while making good friendship. Many people come to us for many things. They take our help and leave. But when we are in troubles, they never turn up. They disappear at once. Such people cannot be our real friends. A person, who comes to our rescue in times of adversity, is a real friend. Such friends are very rare in this world. This proverb says that a friend should help us when we are in troubles. So, a friend in need is a friend indeed.
3. All that glitters is not gold
Gold is a very precious metal and it shines. Glass only glitters and never shines. But the glittering glass may even outshine gold apparently. This comparison is like that of salt with camphor that resembles the same in colour but their tastes are different. In the same way, some people in the society seem to be like glittering gold but actually they are glittering glass. They pose like they are very respectable.
EXPANSION OF PROVERBS
145Additional Material
But they are worthless and useless charlatans in the society. The proverb cautions us to be careful in identifying such people.
4. An idle man’s brain is a devil’s workshop
Laziness, idleness or sloth is one of the seven deadly sins. The devil keeps his workshop in an idle man’s brain and prospers in his wicked business. The bee, the ant, and even the watchdog in our house do their work sincerely. We must prove ourselves as their betters in hard work. Great people like A P J Abdul Kalam and Mother Theresa worked incessantly for two noble causes. One worked for the development science and technology in India. And the other served the poor people for the cause of their economic development. We should remember that they sacrificed their lives for the cause of others. At least we must work for ourselves. We must plan our work in the mind and keep the mind busy with the ideas of the work. We can do our work efficiently. Then, the devil cannot enter our brains.
5. A rolling stone gathers no moss
This is true in the case of a person who keeps on changing his professions in his life. There are some fickle minded people who constantly change their profession. These people are like rolling stones. A rolling stone never gathers moss. These people cannot acquire the required skills as a result of constant change in their profession. As the famous saying goes, such people are Jack of all trades, but masters of none. They lead a purposeless life and are criticized by everyone in the society. Such people are not an asset to the family or the society they are living in. A person of this kind of attitude cannot be a role model even to his own children. He is an epitome of instability. Hence, one should carefully decide upon one’s profession and stick to it to develop and grow as an example for others to follow.
6. A stitch in time saves nine
When a shirt is torn and needs stitching, it has to be done immediately. Initially a single stitch may prevent the shirt from becoming bigger. So when action taken quickly a stitch is enough. On the other hand, the delay will make the tear bigger and bigger. Then, nine stitches may be required to prevent it. The same principle may be applied in our lives also. The faults we make are to be rectified in the initial stage otherwise the defects become permanent and stay with us forever. Then it becomes highly impossible to eliminate them. Therefore, a stitch in time saves nine.
7. Every man is the architect of his own future
Any person can decide his own future with his actions. Generally, people comment on us in many ways. They call someone lazy, someone hard working and someone else intelligent. We get these comments because of our deeds in the past. The present points back to the past. If the present actions are taken care of, better rewards await in future. If any one wants to be successful, he must have a proper planning about implementing his ideas that are going to happen. This means, he has to be watchful about all his current actions. Since we build our future brick by brick through our present actions, we are indeed the architects of our own future.
146 Helpmate
8. Example is better than precept
Precept is only a theory. While precept refers to an abstract idea, an example presents a concrete fact. We can speak of many percepts. Without examples, these percepts become useless For example, work hard and you can achieve anything is a precept. The life of a man is a practical lesson which teaches us better morals than the empty rhetoric about ideals. One good act speaks volumes about charity, but a hundred volumes on charity may not inspire anybody.
9. Failures are the stepping stones to success
A person cannot succeed or come to lime light over night. Before he gets success, he has to face many failures. We should remember that failures form an essential part of any success. If we understand this truth, we will not be discouraged by our failures. Instead, we work harder to get success. Many scientists work day and night to get some result of their work. The success will tantalize them in the form of failures. But failures never discourage them from getting success. They know that failures are the stepping stones to success.
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