The eyes are afraid. The hands do the work.

What it means

A big job always looks impossible when you only stare at it. Once your hands start moving, the fear shrinks to the size of the next task. Start working and let the looking catch up.

The source

"The eyes are afraid. The hands do the work." This Russian proverb is recorded in Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Boldness — Daring — Cowardice" («Смелость — Отвага — Трусость»). Translated from the original Russian by Spartan Surfers.

"Глаза страшат, а руки делают."

Original Russian, Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Boldness — Daring — Cowardice" («Смелость — Отвага — Трусость»). Text read at ru.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Proverbs of the world (Every age). Sayings from the Latin, Greek, Norse, Japanese, Chinese and more, each traced to an old source in its own language.

Questions

What does "The eyes are afraid. The hands do the work." mean?

A big job always looks impossible when you only stare at it. Once your hands start moving, the fear shrinks to the size of the next task. Start working and let the looking catch up.

Who said "The eyes are afraid. The hands do the work."?

Russian proverb. Source: Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Boldness — Daring — Cowardice" («Смелость — Отвага — Трусость»).

What is the original Russian?

Глаза страшат, а руки делают. Translated from the original Russian by Spartan Surfers.

Is "The eyes are afraid. The hands do the work." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"The eyes are afraid. The hands do the work." (Russian proverb, Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Boldness — Daring — Cowardice" («Смелость — Отвага — Трусость»), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/the-eyes-are-afraid-the-hands-do-the