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Spartan Surfers

1654-1734

Thomas Fuller

English physician who collected nearly seven thousand proverbs and sayings in Gnomologia (1732). Many lines now credited to famous names first appear in his collection.

39 sourced lines

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

  1. All things are difficult before they are easy.

    Every skill starts clumsy: the first paddle out, the first week in a new job, the first set of pull-ups. Difficulty is a stage, not a verdict. Stay with it long enough and the hard thing becomes the easy one.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 560, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732)

  2. In a calm, everyone can steer.

    Flat water flatters every sailor. Skill only shows when the wind gets up. Welcome the rough days; they are where you find out what you can do.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 2808, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  3. Wait until every danger is past and you'll never put to sea.

    There is never a moment with zero risk. Waiting for perfect safety means never leaving the harbor. Prepare well, then go.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 2353, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  4. Wait for a perfect wind and you'll lose many voyages.

    Perfect conditions are rare. People who wait for them watch the season pass. Set out on a good-enough wind and trim as you go.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 2354, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  5. Master yourself and you'll soon master others.

    Self-command is the root of every other kind of authority. People trust and follow someone who is in control of their own temper and habits. Start with the person in the mirror.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 2181, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  6. Whoever cannot command himself is a slave.

    You can be free on paper and still be ruled by cravings, moods and habits. Real freedom is the power to say no to yourself. Take back the controls.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 2445, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  7. We carry our greatest enemies within us.

    Most of what holds us back is not out there. Doubt, laziness and temper travel with us everywhere. Know your inner enemies by name.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 5436, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  8. Whoever would conquer must fight.

    No victory comes without a contest. Wishing and planning are not enough; at some point you have to step in. Get in the ring.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 2346, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  9. The anvil fears no blows.

    An anvil is made to be struck and it outlasts every hammer. Be built for the hits you know are coming. Let the blows shape the work, not you.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 4395, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  10. Skill, not strength, steers the ship.

    Muscle can't argue with the sea. Knowledge of wind, current and boat does the steering. Learn the craft instead of forcing it.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 5116, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  11. The wind owes you nothing.

    Nature, luck and the world have made you no promises. If the wind doesn't come, it hasn't cheated you. Pick up the oars.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 4830, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  12. Oaks may fall when reeds survive the storm.

    Rigid strength snaps; flexible strength bends and stands back up. In a storm, give where you must and keep your roots. Bend without breaking.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 3692, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  13. Hoist your sail when the wind is fair.

    Good conditions don't last. When the moment is right, move. Don't waste a fair wind tidying the deck.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 2518, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  14. Fear keeps you out of danger. Only courage carries you through it.

    Fear has a job: it keeps you from stupid risks. But once you are in the storm, fear is useless and only courage helps. Know which one you need.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 1511, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  15. True courage is fire. Bullying is smoke.

    Bullies make a lot of noise and vanish when tested. Real courage is quiet heat that holds. Don't confuse the smoke for the fire.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 5284, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  16. Fortune gives her hand to the bold.

    Luck favors people who put themselves in its path. The bold take more shots and so more of them land. Make your move.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 1600, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  17. Fear defeat and you're half beaten.

    Expecting to lose shapes how you fight. Half the battle is lost in the head before anyone moves. Go in expecting to win.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 4979, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  18. One hour today is worth two tomorrow.

    Time now is worth more than time later because you actually have it. Tomorrow's hours are only a promise. Do it today.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 3761, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  19. No one masters a craft on the first day.

    Every expert was once a beginner who kept going. Early clumsiness is normal, not a verdict. Give yourself time to get good.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 3600, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  20. No pains, no gains.

    Growth costs effort. If it never hurts, you are not pushing. Pay the price and collect the gain.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 6360, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  21. What is hard to gain is long retained.

    Lessons learned the hard way stick. Things handed to you slip away. Welcome the difficulty that makes it stay.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 4991, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  22. Idle people take the most pains.

    Avoiding work is exhausting: the excuses, the catching up, the trouble that builds. Doing the job is often easier than dodging it. Just do it.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 3056, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  23. Busy, one devil tempts you. Idle, a legion.

    An empty schedule fills with bad ideas. Purposeful work keeps most temptations out. Stay occupied with something good.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 2171, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  24. Build your enemy a silver bridge to flee over.

    A cornered opponent fights to the death. Leave a way out and they will often take it. Win the war, not every battle.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 3312, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  25. Your enemy may look like a mouse. Watch him like a lion.

    Underestimating a rival is how you lose to one. Size and appearance can mislead. Respect every threat.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 5015, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  26. Answer an angry man calmly and you are too hard for him.

    Anger needs heat to feed on. Calm gives it nothing and leaves it exhausted. Stay cool and you win the exchange.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 2061, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  27. When anger rides in, reason rides out.

    Anger and good judgment don't share a saddle. The angrier you get, the less you think. Wait for reason to come back before you act.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 5533, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  28. Anger punishes itself.

    The angry person suffers first and longest. Rage burns the one who carries it. You are punished by your anger, not for it.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 799, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  29. Kindness is the noblest weapon to conquer with.

    Force wins compliance; kindness wins hearts. A victory made with generosity lasts. Disarm people by being decent to them.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 3127, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  30. Giving much to the poor increases your store.

    Generosity looks like loss on paper but works like gain in life. What you give comes back as friendship, respect and peace of mind. The open hand is never empty.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 6114, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  31. Whoever plants trees loves others besides himself.

    A tree gives shade long after the planter is gone. Work for a future you won't see is a quiet act of love. Plant your tree.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 2248, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  32. So full of himself that he is quite empty.

    Vanity takes up all the room where substance could have grown. The more someone talks about themselves, the less there usually is. Stay curious about everyone else.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 2472, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  33. Live one way and you're old at thirty. Another, young at eighty.

    Age is partly a matter of how you treat yourself. Habits can wear you out early or keep you supple for decades. Manage yourself like you plan to be around.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 272, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  34. Until death, all is life.

    As long as you are breathing, the story is not over. Every day before the last one is still a day to live. Don't start dying before you have to.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 5045, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  35. A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.

    Your view of your situation shapes how you experience it. Two people in the same place can be miserable or content. Guard your thoughts; they set your weather.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 6312, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  36. Soft words are hard arguments.

    Gentle speech is surprisingly hard to resist. Shouting invites resistance; calm persuades. Lower your voice and raise your case.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 4203, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  37. Command your wealth or it will command you.

    Money does not stay neutral. If you don't direct it, worry and desire for it will direct you. Decide what it is for.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 1125, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  38. Bridle and spur make a good horse.

    Raw strength needs both restraint and push to become useful. The same goes for people. Hold yourself back where you must and drive yourself on where you must.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 3021, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)

  39. The sea refuses no river.

    The ocean takes in every stream, large or small, clean or muddy. Greatness has room for everyone. Be big enough to welcome all comers.

    Gnomologia (1732), no. 4741, Original English (Gnomologia, 1732; 1817 reprint)