No one is bound to do impossibilities.
No one is bound to do impossibilities.
Meaning in plain English
An impossible demand cannot become achievable merely because someone insists on it. Responsibilities should be considered alongside actual capacity, conditions and the means available to fulfil them.
Example
A coordinator explains that one vehicle cannot make two simultaneous deliveries, then arranges a revised schedule.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The proverb gives impossibility a limit that a demand cannot remove. It can challenge an undertaking whose deadline, resources or requirements cannot fit together. A useful response identifies the specific obstacle and considers a revised arrangement rather than making an unsupported claim that nothing can be done. Bound does not establish the legal effect of an agreement. The saying questions an unrealistic expectation while leaving room for negotiation, learning and genuine responsibilities.
When to use it
Use it to discuss a specific requirement that exceeds available capacity.
Keep in mind
Check the actual limit; this is not a legal ruling or a reason to avoid every difficult task.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 3; French section, paragraph 48; source wording: A l’impossible nul n’est tenu.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗