- English translation
If you venture into the sea, you must put up with the waves.
- Literal wording
Whoever goes into the sea must bear the waves.
- Meaning and lesson
Choosing to enter a risky situation also means accepting the difficulties that come with it. The saying urges a person to be ready to endure those difficulties rather than expect the undertaking to be free of trouble.
The sea and its waves represent an undertaking and its hardships. The emphasis is on bearing what follows from one's own choice, not on waiting for a better moment or assuming that persistence will guarantee success.
- When it is used
Use it to warn someone considering a risky undertaking, or to remind someone already facing its hardships that those difficulties come with the choice they made. It can serve as a firm call to endure rather than a promise of eventual success.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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