- English translation
When you mean to do something kind, do not wait for others' advice.
- Literal wording
If you do good, do not consult anyone.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying urges prompt action when a person has decided on a genuinely beneficial or charitable deed. It treats delay for consultation as unnecessary when the moral value of the act is already clear.
It does not reject advice in every matter, and should not be read as license to disregard consultation where safety, consent, rights, or serious consequences are involved. Rather, it praises initiative in doing good when hesitation or others’ opinions might postpone helpful action.
- When it is used
Use it to encourage someone to carry out a clearly kind, useful act without overthinking it or seeking approval. It suits situations where delay may keep help from reaching someone, but not decisions that require consultation for safety, consent, rights, or significant consequences.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: When you mean to do something kind, do not wait for others' advice.