proverb · Words worth keeping
A good example is the best sermon.
A good example is the best sermon.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying calls a good example the best sermon. It favours demonstrating a value through conduct over explaining it only in speech.
What the words are saying
The comparison uses sermon as instruction, not a judgment of every religious address. A useful reading considers what a demonstration adds without assuming it always persuades or makes explanation unnecessary. An example also needs context to be understood.
Everyday example
A teacher demonstrates a task and explains why the steps matter instead of relying on exhortation alone.
When to use it
Use it to discuss the value of demonstration alongside explanation.
What it does not mean
No universal persuasion advantage or dismissal of all spoken instruction is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 585; PDF page 85
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.