proverb · Words worth keeping
A good road and a wise traveller are two different things.
A good road and a wise traveller are two different things.
In print by 1893 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Favourable conditions and sound judgment are separate advantages. A smooth route cannot choose a destination or decide how someone travels; an easy opportunity still calls for attention and thoughtful choices.
What the words are saying
The road belongs to the circumstances of a journey, while the traveller brings decisions to it. A well-made path can remove obstacles without ensuring that the person follows it wisely. Figuratively, useful resources or a clear procedure do not replace judgment about purpose and conduct. The proverb can help someone distinguish an opportunity from their response to it. The reverse also matters: a difficult road can obstruct a careful traveller, so an unsuccessful result is not proof of foolishness. Read the contrast as a way of separating conditions and choices, while recognising that both influence what becomes possible.
Everyday example
A workshop has excellent equipment, but its organiser still needs a sensible programme.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish available advantages from how they are used.
What it does not mean
Poor conditions can defeat careful plans; outcomes alone do not prove wisdom.
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 proverb
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1893 AD · industrial
In print by 1893: recorded in Dictionary of Quotations (1893). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- Dictionary of Quotations (1893) (1893 AD)
Printed citation: Pr. · page_006
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.