proverb · Words worth keeping
To scare a bird is not the way to catch it.
To scare a bird is not the way to catch it.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying opposes scaring a bird to catching it. As an analogy, an approach that drives a desired response away may defeat its own aim.
What the words are saying
The action and aim point in different directions. A qualified application can consider whether a manner of requesting cooperation undermines it. The supplied gloss about acting early does not explain this contrast, and the phrase verifies no bird-catching method or universal response.
Everyday example
Someone changes an intimidating request into a respectful conversation while accepting the other person’s choice.
When to use it
Use it to examine a method that may undermine its own aim.
What it does not mean
No animal-catching rule or guaranteed human response 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
- 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
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 283; PDF page 44
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.