proverb · Words worth keeping
To him that wills ways are not wanting.
To him that wills ways are not wanting.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Willingness can encourage a search for workable methods. The saying praises initiative but overstates it if every obstacle is treated as a lack of will.
What the words are saying
The ready will is pictured as finding paths rather than waiting for one to appear. It can motivate a person to investigate options within their capacity. Some barriers remain real despite determination, including unavailable resources or unfair conditions. A careful application asks what alternatives actually exist and what help would matter, without making a disappointing outcome proof that someone did not want success enough.
Everyday example
A team explores several feasible approaches to a task and asks for support when none meets the essential requirements.
When to use it
Use it to encourage exploration of realistic options.
What it does not mean
Determination does not remove every barrier or guarantee an available route.
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
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1733 · Ways
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English