Betra er autt en illa skipað.
“Better empty than badly filled.”
It is better to leave a task or position undone than to fill it poorly.
— Traditional Iceland Wisdom, Iceland
Source: Traditional Iceland proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Iceland
Cattle die, kinsmen die, and you yourself will die; but the good name of a man never dies, if he has earned it well.
A person's reputation and good name outlast wealth, family, and life itself.
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Praise the day at evening, a wife when she is cremated, a sword when it is tried, a maiden when she is married, ice when it is crossed, and ale when it has been drunk.
Judge things only by their outcome, not by how they begin or appear.
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A house of one's own is better, though it be small; every man is somebody at home.
Owning even a modest home of one's own brings a dignity and independence that nothing else replaces.
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No better burden can a man carry on the road than much common sense.
Wisdom and good sense are the most valuable things a person can carry through life.
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A man should be moderately wise, never too crafty; the fairest life is led by those who know much, but not too much.
Excessive cleverness invites trouble; balanced, modest wisdom leads to the happiest life.
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Fire is best among the sons of men, and the sight of the sun, if a man can keep his health, and live a life free of shame.
The simplest gifts — warmth, light, health, and a clean conscience — matter more than riches.
Traditional Iceland Wisdom
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