024Japanese proverb ことわざ
備えあれば憂いなし
そなえあればうれいなしSonae areba urei nashi
“Where there is preparation, there is no worry.”
The meaning
Worry thrives on vagueness. Concrete preparation replaces it with simple gestures decided in advance.
At the origin
A maxim inherited from the Chinese classics, very present in Japan's culture of preparedness.
The characters
- 備え sonaepreparation
- あれば arebaif there is
- 憂い
- なし
In practice
Turn a worry into a list: three preparations, then let the mind rest.
Editorial note
Classical Chinese origin (Book of Documents).