A German figure of speech: “Erst wiegs, dann wags.” Translation: First weigh, then wager.
aphorisms
Bismarck on planning
“Ich gewöhne mich nachgerade, nicht Pläne über acht Tage hinaus zu machen, denn der liebe Gott lässt mich doch nicht in seine Karte sehen, und tut ohne Zweifel gut daran.”
“I’m getting used to not making plans for more than eight days, because the good Lord doesn’t let me look at his map, and it’s no doubt a good idea to do so.”
Otto von Bismarck (1815 – 1898)
“more tense the nerves”
“Je gedehnter das Vorhaben, desto gespannter die Nerven.” Translation: The longer the project, the more tense the nerves.
Daniel Mühlemann (born 1959), nature photographer, aphorist and translator.
preparing to fail
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin
Franklin collected many aphorisms in his Old Farmer’s Almanac. Freeing a country from under the powerful arm of a great power is going to take some planning, which Franklin knew was the first step towards success.
a form of planning
“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.” – Gloria Steinem
sharpening the axe
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
No president had to face as great a challenge as Abraham Lincoln. Never neglect the time and effort necessary for due diligence before action.
Hildegard on planning
“As the fire carries the flame within itself, so it is necessary for the powers of the rational man to have a work before him.”
Hildegard von Bingen (1098 – 1179), German mystic, abbess and scientist, Catholic saint
“Wie das Feuer die Flamme in sich trägt, so ist es für die Kräfte des vernunftbegabten Menschen notwendig, ein Werk vor sich zu haben.”
goals of others
“Planlosigkeit erreicht spielend Ziele – andrer.” In English: “A lack of plan easily achieves goals – of others.”
Manfred Hinrich (1926 – 2015) – German philosopher, philologist, teacher, journalist, author of children’s songs, aphorist and writer.
“also forgiven”
“Entworfen bloß, ists ein gemeiner Frevel, Vollführt, ists ein unsterblich Unternehmen; Und wenn es glückt, so ist es auch verziehn.”
Translation: “Just designed, it’s a common sacrilege. Completed, it’s an immortal enterprise. And if it succeeds, then it is also forgiven.”
Friedrich von Schiller (1759 – 1805), German physician, poet, philosopher and historian; is considered one of the most important German-speaking playwrights and poets.
“stays different”
“Es bleibt alles ganz anders!” A German figure of speech. Translated: Everything stays completely different!