proverb · Words worth keeping
It is necessary to break the shell to have the almond.
It is necessary to break the shell to have the almond.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Breaking a shell to reach an almond makes an obstacle part of gaining access to something valued. The saying asks what necessary work lies between desire and result.
What the words are saying
The image is not food-preparation or safety guidance. A useful nonliteral reading distinguishes an actual necessary step from needless hardship. It does not justify coercion or harm in pursuit of a goal, and not every obstacle can be overcome by effort alone.
Everyday example
Someone identifies a genuine prerequisite for a task rather than assuming desire is enough.
When to use it
Use it as an access-and-effort image with fair limits.
What it does not mean
No food-safety procedure or justification for harmful means is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
France
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 764; PDF page 70; collection label: France
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- France