proverb · Words worth keeping
What a man sows, that shall he also reap.
What a man sows, that shall he also reap.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Actions can produce consequences connected with what was done. Sowing and reaping picture a relationship between preparation and the resulting harvest.
Example
A team recognises that careful preparation helped its event run smoothly while also acknowledging assistance and favourable circumstances.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The image invites attention to how present choices shape later outcomes. It can encourage responsibility for the effects of one’s conduct or care for the conditions a task needs. The relationship is not a guarantee of reward or punishment: circumstances and other people’s actions also matter. A careful application identifies the actual connection instead of assuming every success is deserved or every hardship self-created.
When to use it
Use it to examine a specific connection between conduct and consequence.
Keep in mind
Outcomes are not determined by effort alone, and hardship is not proof of wrongdoing.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their 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
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English