proverb · Words worth keeping
This world is nothing except it tend to the next.
This world is nothing except it tend to the next.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying values present life through its relation to a life beyond it. It expresses a religious priority rather than a factual dismissal of worldly relationships and needs.
What the words are saying
This world is given significance only when it tends toward the next. A believer may use the expression to examine long-term spiritual purposes. A careful reading recognises that premise without requiring others to share it. It must not make present suffering or obligations irrelevant; how one treats people now can remain central to the conduct being examined.
Everyday example
A believer considers whether a daily choice reflects their spiritual commitments while also taking responsibility for its effects on others.
When to use it
Use it to discuss present conduct within a belief in an afterlife.
What it does not mean
It expresses belief and does not justify neglecting present needs or people with different beliefs.
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
- Not established
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
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1853 · World
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English