Seek till you find, and you'll lose no labour.

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

Continuing a search can make earlier effort useful when something worthwhile is found. The saying encourages persistence, without guaranteeing success or making it wrong to stop an unproductive search.

What the words are saying

The instruction carries the search through to a result, so the labour appears justified by finding what was wanted. It can encourage someone not to give up at the first difficulty when a useful route remains open. But the promise of losing no labour is too broad to settle every case. A goal may be unsuitable, a method may not work or the cost of continuing may become disproportionate. The useful reading checks what is being sought and whether the search is still learning or progressing. Persistence can include changing the method, narrowing the aim or choosing a different task rather than repeating the same effort indefinitely.

Everyday example

A family looking for a misplaced recipe checks likely folders, then asks who last used it instead of repeatedly searching the same drawer.

When to use it

Use it when a worthwhile search has encountered difficulty but useful next steps remain.

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Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.