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.
#121
Love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
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#122
Don't cast pearls before swine.
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#123
Walk the walk, talk the talk.
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#124
Money doesn’t grow on trees.
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#125
Truth is more valuable if it takes you a few years to find it.
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#126
Hunger is felt by a slave and hunger is felt by a king.
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#127
The best candle is understanding.
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#128
Don’t put too many irons in the fire.
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#129
Like father, like son.
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#130
As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.
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#131
Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
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#132
Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.
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#133
Half truth is whole lie.
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#134
After the feast comes the reckoning.
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#135
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
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#136
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
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#137
A stitch in time saves nine.
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#138
He who hesitates is lost.
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#139
Barking dogs, seldom bite.
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#140
No pain, no gain.
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