proverb · Words worth keeping
It's good to be merry and wise.
It's good to be merry and wise.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Enjoyment and good judgement can go together. You can be cheerful or playful while still paying attention to your responsibilities and the effects on others.
Example
Friends plan a lively evening together and agree how everyone will get home before they begin celebrating.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The saying joins two qualities that are sometimes treated as opposites. Merry suggests pleasure and sociability; wise suggests a sense of limits and consequences. The proverb recommends keeping both, so that a happy occasion does not depend on carelessness and sensible conduct does not require being permanently solemn. It can apply to a celebration, a shared joke or leisure within a busy life. Wisdom in this setting means making space for enjoyment that remains considerate and sustainable. It is not a demand to calculate every moment of fun or restrain harmless spontaneity.
When to use it
Use it to encourage enjoyment that includes reasonable care and consideration.
Keep in mind
Good judgement should support pleasure, not make every harmless activity feel like a test.
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