quote · Source-linked selection
The better part of valour is discretion.
The better part of valour is discretion.
Approximate author period: c. 1590 AD · renaissance
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Courage works best with judgement: choosing when not to take an unnecessary risk can be wiser than proving bravery through reckless action.
What the words are saying
'Valour' means courage, especially in the face of danger. 'Discretion' here means careful judgement, not merely keeping a secret. The saying separates meaningful bravery from taking a risk for appearance's sake. Pausing, withdrawing or choosing a different method may protect the goal more effectively than pressing ahead. The phrase can also be used humorously as an excuse for retreat, so the situation matters when deciding whether it expresses genuine wisdom or convenient self-justification.
Everyday example
A team stops a risky repair until the correct equipment is available rather than continuing simply to show that its members are not afraid.
When to use it
Use it when caution protects a worthwhile objective without denying that action may eventually be necessary.
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What it does not mean
Avoidance is not automatically wise. The saying should not become a reason to evade every difficult but necessary responsibility.
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
- William Shakespeare
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Approximate author period: c. 1590 AD · renaissance
author lifetime midpoint
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- Familiar Quotations, ninth edition (1905 printing) (1905 AD)
King Henry IV. Part I. Act v. Sc. 4.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
The voice behind the words.
Listed in the author section of Bartlett’s ninth-edition anthology, in the linked 1905 printing. Dates reflect that historical edition and may differ from modern scholarship.
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