proverb · Words worth keeping
High winds blow on high hills.
High winds blow on high hills.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A conspicuous position can receive pressure from several directions. The hills exposed to wind picture the demands that visibility may attract, without proving that prominence must cause a fall or that every request deserves an immediate response.
Example
A newly popular local exhibition receives competing requests for visits, loans and talks, so its volunteers publish a shared request process and explain their available capacity.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The wind acts on the hill that stands exposed in the proverb’s picture. Figuratively, a visible role or undertaking can attract requests, expectations and criticism from people with different concerns. Their combined pressure may be easy to underestimate when each demand is considered alone. A useful response identifies where the demands are coming from and makes clear which can be answered, shared or deferred. The image concerns exposure to outside forces rather than the height of a possible fall. It does not require retreat from visibility or declare every demand unreasonable. Its point is to notice the surrounding pressure and organise a workable response.
When to use it
Use it when a visible undertaking is receiving demands from several directions.
Keep in mind
Assess the particular demands; visibility need not be harmful, and not every request can or must be fulfilled.
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