proverb · Words worth keeping
The most friendly fortune trips up your heels.
The most friendly fortune trips up your heels.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Favourable circumstances can still include an unexpected setback. Enjoy a good position while avoiding the assumption that every next step is certain to remain easy.
Example
A successful project team keeps a sensible backup plan instead of assuming that the next event will face exactly the same conditions.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Fortune behaves like a friend who suddenly trips someone up. The image challenges the feeling that a run of success guarantees continued safety. A person may become less attentive because previous arrangements worked well, only to discover a new difficulty. The useful response is proportionate preparation and flexibility, not suspicion of every positive event. The proverb supplies no prediction about a particular loss and no evidence that good luck causes bad luck. It simply makes room for changes that an encouraging recent experience may tempt someone to overlook.
When to use it
Use it to retain realistic preparation during a favourable period.
Keep in mind
Possibility is not probability. Do not treat every success as a sign that a disaster must follow.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown