proverb · Words worth keeping
Valour that parleys is near yielding.
Valour that parleys is near yielding.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying treats negotiation as a sign that courage is close to surrender. A critical reading questions that assumption rather than equating discussion with weakness.
What the words are saying
Parley introduces conversation into a confrontation, and the wording interprets it as failing resolve. That can expose a rigid model of bravery in which listening or compromise is disallowed. A careful interpretation distinguishes abandoning a principle from seeking an agreement that prevents harm. Speaking with an opponent may require judgment and courage rather than show their absence.
Everyday example
A group discusses a fair compromise instead of treating every conversation with the other side as a betrayal.
When to use it
Use it critically to examine a claim that negotiation proves weakness.
What it does not mean
Negotiation can be courageous and useful; refusal to discuss is not proof of strength.
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 1698 · Valour
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English