proverb · Words worth keeping
As good sit still as rise up and fall.
As good sit still as rise up and fall.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An unsuccessful effort can seem no better than doing nothing. The saying voices that discouragement, while inviting a closer look at what an attempt may still teach.
Example
After a failed trial, a team records what it learned before deciding whether to revise the approach or stop.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Rising and falling make action look like a pointless return to the starting place. This can describe a task undertaken without adequate preparation or a response to repeated failure. Yet an attempt may reveal useful information, and staying still can have costs of its own. A careful interpretation compares realistic options rather than declaring effort worthless whenever it does not immediately succeed.
When to use it
Use it to discuss whether an effort has a useful purpose or lesson.
Keep in mind
An unsuccessful attempt can still be worthwhile; inaction is not automatically safer or better.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English