Readers reply: Journey broadens the thoughts – what different sayings are obviously false, or not all the time true? | Life and magnificence

From what I can see, travelling in lots of instances has zero impact on an individual’s outlook and prejudices. If that weren’t so, then high-flying politicians of all stripes can be among the many most broad-minded folks on the planet as they always jet from metropolis to metropolis. I can consider a number of proverbs which can be extraordinarily true, or at the least appear so, comparable to “A stitch in time saves nine”, or “Many a mickle makes a muckle”, which it patently does – or particularly the universally true, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”. But what different proverbs or quotes or apparently intelligent soundbites are unfaithful, for at the least a few of the time? “Fine words butter no parsnips”? And how do questionable assertions turn out to be sayings within the first place? Neil Ashby, Powys

Send new inquiries to nq@theguardian.com.

Readers reply

“Everything happens for a reason.” Everything occurs, full cease. We as people then attempt to apply a purpose in a post-hoc rationalisation with the intention to really feel higher concerning the occasion itself. Sagarmatha1953

This “travel broadens the mind” factor has been knocking round since lengthy earlier than time immemorial (6 July 1189), however I’m fairly certain for Seneca, amongst others, “travel” meant pottering about with nice effort, attending to know different peoples, their methods of speech, habits, and foibles, the topography and peculiarities of the place they lived. The finish outcome being, after a number of a long time, they had been thought of to be fairly sensible (and supply of hilarious anecdotes for one’s mates).

What “travel” didn’t imply was turning up everywhere, losing scarce sources for no higher purpose than with the ability to say “and we saw”, making a bloody nuisance of oneself for a few days, getting in folks’s method, being usually ineffective and helpless, in order that entire sections of the affected society need to be employed in pampering, dressing up like an absolute doughnut, after which in spite of everything that having the gall to name oneself a “a travel writer”. bricklayersoption

“Least said, soonest mended” is basically unfaithful, as issues fester when not resolved. Talking issues out is to be really useful. But as a method of protecting smiling when it’s all going to pot, possibly that’s the origin of the stiff higher lip. GrasmereGardens

Surprised nobody has talked about the traditional: “Laughter is the best medicine.” Not when you’ve bought a continual well being situation … FrankieandDexy

“I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Neither do I.”
“Spooky.” JZZS

“Lies, damned lies and statistics.” Statistics can completely be utilized in a deceptive method, however this one is wildly common amongst those that make no effort to level out any precise drawback with the stats being quoted, however deal with it as a intelligent counterargument anyway. Jebedee

Stuff that doesn’t kill you is unquestionably not assured to make you stronger. unclestinky

Absence is not going to essentially make the center develop fonder, and no information is very often not excellent news. TonyTony

Absence undoubtedly doesn’t make the center develop fonder. It has the other impact. It makes you overlook one another and drift aside. That’s why so many long-distance relationships fail. Achilles94627

It’s typically mentioned that many arms make mild work, however I don’t see how. In my expertise it’s much more prone to be a brand new bulb. ThereisnoOwl

“What goes around comes around.” No, it doesn’t. irreverentnurse

“Great minds think alike and fools seldom differ.” Neither half of that quote is even remotely a truism. After all, everybody would suppose like me if simply one among them was. ForgetMeDo

“A watched pot never boils.” Demonstrably unfaithful. I do know; I’ve watched a couple of. VictoriaMeldrew

“A problem shared is a problem halved” isn’t all the time true. It’s a pleasant thought when it’s true, however in some conditions it means two of you’re stressing and are each spending time on one thing which may not be fixable. More prone to be true with mates, however much less so with colleagues. NickEM

“The exception proves the rule.” Clearly, it doesn’t, or at the least not within the sense folks often imply. In this case, “proves” means “tests”, not “validates”. Alex42

“The customer is always right.” Anyone who has labored in retail or hospitality is aware of that is nonsense. The knowledgable will rush to level out that the complete quote (purportedly from Harry Selfridge) is “The customer is always right in matters of taste”, which can be true, but additionally presumably not. TobermoryNightlife

“Better safe than sorry.” So, out are singing within the rain, travelling past your backyard, leaping right into a lake, consuming a couple of glass of chardonnay, falling in love and consuming that second piece of chocolate cake. In are sporting surgical masks to dinner events, establishing residence in a panic room, sporting a helmet always, consuming solely uncooked greens, all the time carrying an umbrella and by no means talking to a stranger. No, thanks. Anne Geraghty