Its meaning: The proverb ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ means that timely action in any matter saves him from a lot of troubles, loss, and waste. A person should do his duties in proper time. A person may suffer if he is lazy and leaves his work for tomorrow.’
This phrase means that it is better to act sooner rather than later. Taking action to deal with a potential problem as soon as possible prevents larger problems from cropping up later.
Expansion: When a small hole appears in a piece of cloth, it can be easily repaired with a single stitch. On the other hand, if it is not sewed in time, it will widen more and more, and many stitches will be required to mend the cloth.
A neglect of this simple duty, at the start, will turn the cloth into a useless scrap. Similarly, all difficulties of this kind can easily be prevented by taking timely action to remove them.
Man has many duties to perform and his life on earth is short. In the brief span of his life, he has not a minute to waste. He must, therefore take time by the forelock. Once it has passed, it can never be recalled. Whatever a man has to do, he must do it immediately.
Also read: Essay on Time is Money
Duties of man demand his immediate attention. Indifference and idleness to do them in time is not a good habit. Performance of daily duties brings success in life. Therefore, every man should do all necessary work just in time, and this will crown his life with success.
Importance of the proverb
1. Taking control: when we take on issues head on, we have control of the situation from the beginning and stop things from spiraling out of control.
2. Keeping our lives manageable: if we nip problems in the bud as soon as they arise, we never let them get too big and all of our projects will be easy to manage.
3. Motivating us: this proverb motivates us to take quick and decisive action when it is needed.
4. Thinking of the future: ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ reminds us of the importance that present actions have on the future.
5. A sense of achievement: when we take positive action to resolve a situation quickly, this proverb reminds us that we have achieved a great deal.
Relevance of the proverb in everyday life
- People who get their car repaired at the first sign of discomfort, are more likely to enjoy the ride for years.
- People who stop eating fatty foods at the early stage of obesity related problems, are more likely to restore their health.
- People take control over excess expenditure are less likely to get into debt trap.
- People who save money for the future are more likely to avoid financial troubles.
- Student who start studying hard after poor results in class tests will surely get good marks in final examination.
Hence, we find that the proverb ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ is as much relevant in today’s world.
AWhat does ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ mean?
Conclusion: ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ is a brilliant proverb to bear in mind because it is a great reminder of the power of timely action.
- Edited by OldIsGold with inputs from various writers.