proverb · Legacy record
One should not refuse to eat just because there is a chance of getting choked.
One should not refuse to eat just because there is a chance of getting choked.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Eating despite a chance of choking contrasts a necessary activity with a possible risk. Figuratively, the saying questions avoiding every undertaking because something could go wrong.
What the words are saying
The scene is not a food or medical instruction. A responsible interpretation assesses a specific aim and its risks rather than requiring people to disregard real danger. Some precautions or alternatives are justified, and a refusal can be sound judgment rather than lack of courage.
Everyday example
Someone distinguishes a manageable uncertainty from an unacceptable risk when considering a feasible task.
When to use it
Use it only as a qualified risk-and-avoidance analogy.
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What it does not mean
No swallowing guidance, safe-risk guarantee or universal duty to proceed 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
China
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 292; PDF page 32; collection label: China
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- China