The first step binds one to the second.
The first step binds one to the second.
Meaning in plain English
An initial choice can create pressures or obligations that shape the next one. Examine those commitments early without assuming that a mistaken course cannot be changed.
Example
Before agreeing to organise one event, a volunteer clarifies whether the group expects them to run the whole season.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The first step binds the second, picturing action as a sequence rather than a collection of isolated moments. Beginning an arrangement may create expectations, dependencies or costs that make the following choice less free. Ask what the initial commitment actually entails before treating it as a harmless trial. Once started, a person can still reassess the direction and discuss changes. The image warns about momentum; it does not prove that every first step is irreversible or require continuing a harmful plan merely because it has begun.
When to use it
Use it to consider the commitments created by an apparently small beginning.
Keep in mind
Do not use the saying to trap someone in an unsuitable arrangement or deny the possibility of changing direction.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 33; French section, paragraph 659; source wording: Le premier pas engage au second.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗