English Explanatory Dictionary

better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness

English dictionary entry

Meanings

proverb
  1. Even in the face of hopelessness and discontent, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response, than to complain about the situation.

Word forms

better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness better to light one candle than to curse the darkness better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness better to light a candle than to curse the darkness

Etymology

Often claimed to be an ancient Chinese proverb. Also often misattributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. Earliest known usage is a 1907 sermon by English preacher William Lonsdale Watkinson.

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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