- English translation
Better to accept defeat than to end the day as the winner.
- Literal wording
Go to bed defeated, rather than go to bed victorious.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying recommends yielding rather than prolonging a quarrel for the sake of triumph. It presents humility and self-restraint as preferable to the personal satisfaction of overcoming another person.
When victory appears unattainable, it can offer consolation by treating concession as an act of humility and restraint over one’s own pride, rather than a reason to intensify the dispute.
- When it is used
Used in disputes to advise restraint or acceptance of an unwelcome outcome. It can be addressed to someone tempted to keep fighting merely to prove superiority, especially when continuing the conflict is unlikely to bring a worthwhile result.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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