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Better bend than break.

Scottish proverb

PhilosophyProverbs

The story behind the card

“Better bend than break” is listed in Alexander Hislop's The Proverbs of Scotland, first published in 1862, but the idea is much older. Its best-known form is Aesop's fable The Oak and the Reed: a storm uproots the proud oak, while the reed bends with the wind and survives. The French poet La Fontaine retold it in 1668, with the reed saying “Je plie, et ne romps pas”, I bend and do not break. Japanese has “Yanagi ni yuki-ore nashi”: the willow does not snap under snow.

Türkçe oku
Kırılmaktansa eğilmek yeğdir.
İskoç atasözü

“Better bend than break” sözü, Alexander Hislop'un ilk kez 1862'de yayımlanan The Proverbs of Scotland (İskoç Atasözleri) derlemesinde geçer; ama fikir çok daha eskidir. En bilinen hâli Ezop'un Meşe ile Kamış masalıdır: Fırtına kibirli meşeyi kökünden söker, rüzgârla eğilen kamış ise ayakta kalır. Fransız şair La Fontaine masalı 1668'de yeniden yazar; kamış orada “Eğilirim ama kırılmam” der. Japoncada da “Yanagi ni yuki-ore nashi”, yani “Söğüt dalı karla kırılmaz” denir.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Psychological resilience
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