- English translation
Do not leave your place unless you are forced out.
- Literal wording
Stay in your nest until someone comes to shoo you away.
- Meaning and lesson
Counsels against abandoning one’s home, position, or work voluntarily merely because removal seems possible. Remain where you are rather than taking the step yourself, unless circumstances actually compel you to leave.
The saying treats a feared loss as different from an unavoidable one. Acting too early can bring about the very loss one hoped to avoid, while conditions may change before any forced departure occurs.
- When it is used
Used to advise someone who is considering leaving a home, job, or position because they expect pressure or dismissal. It recommends not making a premature exit when no one has yet required it.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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