As It Was Said Of Old

Proverbs may be simply proverbial or didactic and moralising. Together a collection of proverbs can become a manual of conduct sharing human experience with others. They may be folk sayings or encouragements to follow a path of wisdom and to be mindful of your actions. They may be saying contrasting types of people and behaviour.

They can come in the form of maxims, aphorisms, apothegms, dictums, adages, precepts, axioms, principles and teachings. They may be platitudes, clichés, commonplace, banalities, chestnuts, corn, and trite, prosaic familiar tunes. It has been said there is a golden rule. A proposition to be relied on to coin a phrase. It may be a succinct slogan or motto.

Wisdom is not esoteric knowledge preserved for a few but can be sought by all. It is often about persuading the young about making the right choices. Wisdom recognises limits, ambiguities and uncertainties. The statement of one is often qualified or denied by the statement of another. In the Bible, it is described as a woman who is courted, sought after and cherished. Her call can be discerned among many of pleasure and easy success. Once found she is faithful. It is related to sacrifice and sincerity of heart. There are proverbs going around to do with business – business is business, the customer is always right, business before pleasure, let the buyer beware, a good workman never blames his tools, but perhaps not that many that are well known. The more erudite will no doubt know many more - as the worker so will the work be. They can sit and look at it for hours, we would perhaps all rather play for nothing than work for nothing. The market is marred. A spanner in the works. All in a day’s work.