proverb · Words worth keeping
Waiting for luck is similar to waiting for death.
Waiting for luck is similar to waiting for death.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Waiting for luck compared with waiting for death criticises passivity through a stark image of time passing. The saying urges attention to what can be undertaken.
What the words are saying
A responsible reading does not condemn waiting when options are constrained or rest is needed. It does not rank lives by productivity or guarantee that action changes circumstances. A useful application asks what feasible step, support or preparation is available.
Everyday example
Someone identifies one available step while acknowledging a delay that depends on circumstances outside their control.
When to use it
Use it to examine feasible action without blaming constrained people.
What it does not mean
No guarantee from action or human worth test based on productivity follows.
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
Japan
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 381; PDF page 38; collection label: Japan
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Japan