proverb · Words worth keeping
Grasp no more than thy hand will hold.
Grasp no more than thy hand will hold.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Do not take on more than you can manage at once. Match commitments to actual capacity instead of treating every available opportunity as something you must accept.
Example
A volunteer declines a third catalogue project until one of the current two is finished, rather than promising deadlines they cannot meet.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The hand can hold a limited amount, and grasping beyond that limit threatens what is already being carried. Figuratively, a person who accepts too many responsibilities may lose the ability to complete any of them reliably. The saying asks for an honest account of capacity, including time, support and existing duties. It need not discourage growth: a larger task may be workable if other demands are reduced or help is available. The issue is simultaneous overreach, not ambition itself. Choose what can be held well, and communicate limits before making promises that compete for the same resources.
When to use it
Use it when accumulating commitments is beginning to exceed the time or support available.
Keep in mind
Capacity can change with support or fewer competing duties; the warning is about overcommitment, not forbidding ambition.
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