A good road and a wise traveller are two different things.
A good road and a wise traveller are two different things.
Meaning in plain English
Favourable conditions and sound judgment are separate advantages. A smooth route cannot choose a destination or decide how someone travels; an easy opportunity still calls for attention and thoughtful choices.
Example
A workshop has excellent equipment, but its organiser still needs a sensible programme.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The road belongs to the circumstances of a journey, while the traveller brings decisions to it. A well-made path can remove obstacles without ensuring that the person follows it wisely. Figuratively, useful resources or a clear procedure do not replace judgment about purpose and conduct. The proverb can help someone distinguish an opportunity from their response to it. The reverse also matters: a difficult road can obstruct a careful traveller, so an unsuccessful result is not proof of foolishness. Read the contrast as a way of separating conditions and choices, while recognising that both influence what becomes possible.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish available advantages from how they are used.
Keep in mind
Poor conditions can defeat careful plans; outcomes alone do not prove wisdom.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-04. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Dictionary of Quotations (1893)
Printed citation: Pr. · page_006
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗
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