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Fun With Words

Conflicting Proverbs


There are a variety of proverbs almost all English speakers are familiar with. We regard these words of wisdom with reverence, but some of these sayings look specious when weighed against each other. My solution? "Moderation in all things."

Conflicting Proverbs

Actions speak louder than words.<---->The pen is mightier than the sword.
Knowledge is power.<---->Ignorance is bliss.
Look before you leap.<---->He who hesitates is lost.
A silent man is a wise one.<---->A man without words is a man without thoughts.
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.<---->Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Clothes make the man.<---->Don't judge a book by its cover.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.<---->Better safe than sorry.
Money talks.<---->Talk is cheap.
The only thing constant is change.<---->The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Two heads are better than one.<---->If you want something done right, do it yourself.
Many hands make light work.<---->Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Great minds think alike.<---->Fools seldom differ.
Birds of a feather flock together.<---->Opposites attract.
The bigger, the better.<---->The best things come in small packages.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.<---->Out of sight, out of mind.
What will be, will be.<---->Life is what you make it.
Cross your bridges when you come to them.<---->Forewarned is forearmed.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander.<---->One man's meat is another man's poison.
With age comes wisdom.<---->Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings come all wise sayings.
The more, the merrier.<---->Two's company; three's a crowd.