You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.
Write two paragraphs--the first paragraph should explain what the proverb means and the second paragraph should give an illustration of the proverb's meaning.
The proverb "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink" can have a vast meaning behind it. This proverb could mean that you can direct a person as much as you would like, but in the end they will do what they want. An example of this proverb could be parents raising a child. Let's say these parents made their child go to a top school, but this child was not willing to learn. The parents attempted to lead their child in the right direction, but they cannot make him/her do what they want him/her to do.
The proverb "you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink" is used to express a missed opportunity. The horse is the person, and the water is the missed opportunity. This proverb can be applied to many situations in the world today.
Often, kids are given opportunities that they simply pass up out of laziness, such as getting a bad grade on an easy test, not trying out for a sports team, or any other common mistake. It can happen to adults as well, like not buying a product that is on sale, or not filling out a job application. As you can see many of these opportunities could benefit you later in life, or harm you if you ignore them, like the dead horse who did not drink the water when he had the chance.
I believe that the proverb "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink" means one thing in particular, but it can be stated many different ways. I interpret it to mean that you can give someone a lot of advice or opportunity, and even guide them to something, but it is up to them to accept it or make use of it. Sometimes people will accept this advice, but most of the time they will not accept it and do what they want to do. You can even set someone on a seemingly direct path to something, but at the very end of it, they could decide that they want to do something else.
From my experience, I had a friend who was making poor grades in math class, while I was making really good grades. I felt bad for her, and wanted to help, so I started tutoring and going over her tests with her. I wanted her to succeed, and I thought she would want herself to succeed, but after many sessions, I finally realized that she was making the same mistake: she chose not to study for her math tests. I had set her up so well to be an excellent student, but that was all I could do; I could not make her study, that was her personal duty.
The proverb "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink" has to do with what the horse wants to do. The horse doesn't have to be a horse, it could be anything. It's not about the horse, its about the will of the horse or person. A leader or parent can tell you what to do or how to do something, but you are the one to really decide what you are going to do. You control yourself and have the final decision. An example of this proverb in real life is the same story for many kids or children these days. Their parents tell them how to do things and how to do them right, but the kids refuse and do it theoir own way. They believe that their way is right and that they can do what they want. Their parents set them up for success but they don't have to follow in their parents' direction.
There are many times in life today where the old saying that "you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink" could be used to sum up a situation. The proverb is metaphorically stating that although a person or group of people(horses) can be well set up to gain something that they want, or maybe something that another wants for them, they may not always choose to take it. A common example in which a horse is being led to water that it does not want to drink is in Parent/child relationships. Parents often think they know what is best for their child and, incidentally, end up disappointed when the child goes in a different direction. Sometimes the water is water that the horse actually does want, but ends up not drinking for whatever reason. It could be stubbornness, laziness, unhappiness with the path taken to reach the water, or others. One thing that is always true of these situations is that the "horse" should never be judged on its' failure to drink the water, because it may well be for a good reason.
The proverb "you can lead a horse to water, but cannot make it drink", is an expression used to describe the situation that occurs when someone, the "horse", is taught how to do something, but chooses not to do it, the drinking of the "water". This proverb can be used to illustrate many kids today decisions.
An common example of this is proverb is the situation between wealthy parents and their children. The two parents could decide to raise their child in the best schools with the finest education, expecting them into being successful. But, it really all comes down to whether or not the child actually cares about his future as much as his parents. The parents can't force him into "drinking the water", or having the work ethnic into doing so.
This is a very important qoute in my life because it somewhat pertains to me. It is saying that even though you tell someone how to be great, does not mean they will listen to what you say. You have to let them make their own decisions and suffer the consequences if they messup. It is a part of life that the horse must choose the right decision for himself. I am my own example in my opnion. I use to not really care about football at all and let it just be something I do in the afternoon. But once I recieved the drive and passion for the sport, I became a dominat presence and worked hard everytime I stepped on the field.
The proverb "you can lead a horse to water, but cannot make it drink" means that you can give somebody an opportunity to do something but that person won't always take the opportunity that was given to them. That person has to make their own decision and there isn't anything you can do about it but hand them the opportunity.
My personal experience is over the summer when I tutored kids in Korea on improving their English. Some students took the opportunity to learn and excelled during the time I was there but others chose not to pay attention and not learn anything while the opportunity was up for grabs.
This proverb you can lead a horse to water,but cannot make it drink, is a usual scenario in life. The moral of this saying is basically that you can do as a lot for a person yet that person has the final say so. Some examples are parents and their children.
Parents and their children is a perfect example of this because no matter how much the parents invest in their child academically and athletically. They still have the final say so in what they want to do in their life and how they want to do it.
The first thing that comes into my mind when I think about this proverb is that you can help someone out by maybe showing them the right path but at the end of the day it's their decision to go down that path or not. The proverb also shows the limits of how much you can actually help someone. It shows these limits through the part that says that "you cannot make it drink". You can't force anyone to do anything so that last part is saying its their choice to go through with it or not because they have the ultimate power to make their own decisions. This proverb can be represented through the decisions of friends. A lot of my friends are in relationships and with relationships comes problems sometimes. So a lot of my friends come to me for advice. Of course I give them my advice and try to lead them to the right path or the right thing to do. But sometimes they totally ignore what I have to say and end up doing something completely different. I gave my friend the right advice and showed them the right path (You can lead a horse to water) but they choose the other path and I can't do anything else to help them if that's what they want (but you cannot make it drink)
The proverb "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink" can have a vast meaning behind it. This proverb could mean that you can direct a person as much as you would like, but in the end they will do what they want.
ReplyDeleteAn example of this proverb could be parents raising a child. Let's say these parents made their child go to a top school, but this child was not willing to learn. The parents attempted to lead their child in the right direction, but they cannot make him/her do what they want him/her to do.
The proverb "you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink" is used to express a missed opportunity. The horse is the person, and the water is the missed opportunity. This proverb can be applied to many situations in the world today.
DeleteOften, kids are given opportunities that they simply pass up out of laziness, such as getting a bad grade on an easy test, not trying out for a sports team, or any other common mistake. It can happen to adults as well, like not buying a product that is on sale, or not filling out a job application. As you can see many of these opportunities could benefit you later in life, or harm you if you ignore them, like the dead horse who did not drink the water when he had the chance.
I believe that the proverb "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink" means one thing in particular, but it can be stated many different ways. I interpret it to mean that you can give someone a lot of advice or opportunity, and even guide them to something, but it is up to them to accept it or make use of it. Sometimes people will accept this advice, but most of the time they will not accept it and do what they want to do. You can even set someone on a seemingly direct path to something, but at the very end of it, they could decide that they want to do something else.
ReplyDeleteFrom my experience, I had a friend who was making poor grades in math class, while I was making really good grades. I felt bad for her, and wanted to help, so I started tutoring and going over her tests with her. I wanted her to succeed, and I thought she would want herself to succeed, but after many sessions, I finally realized that she was making the same mistake: she chose not to study for her math tests. I had set her up so well to be an excellent student, but that was all I could do; I could not make her study, that was her personal duty.
The proverb "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink" has to do with what the horse wants to do. The horse doesn't have to be a horse, it could be anything. It's not about the horse, its about the will of the horse or person. A leader or parent can tell you what to do or how to do something, but you are the one to really decide what you are going to do. You control yourself and have the final decision.
ReplyDeleteAn example of this proverb in real life is the same story for many kids or children these days. Their parents tell them how to do things and how to do them right, but the kids refuse and do it theoir own way. They believe that their way is right and that they can do what they want. Their parents set them up for success but they don't have to follow in their parents' direction.
There are many times in life today where the old saying that "you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink" could be used to sum up a situation. The proverb is metaphorically stating that although a person or group of people(horses) can be well set up to gain something that they want, or maybe something that another wants for them, they may not always choose to take it.
ReplyDeleteA common example in which a horse is being led to water that it does not want to drink is in Parent/child relationships. Parents often think they know what is best for their child and, incidentally,
end up disappointed when the child goes in a different direction. Sometimes the water is water that the horse actually does want, but ends up not drinking for whatever reason. It could be stubbornness, laziness, unhappiness with the path taken to reach the water, or others. One thing that is always true of these situations is that the "horse" should never be judged on its' failure to drink the water, because it may well be for a good reason.
The proverb "you can lead a horse to water, but cannot make it drink", is an expression used to describe the situation that occurs when someone, the "horse", is taught how to do something, but chooses not to do it, the drinking of the "water". This proverb can be used to illustrate many kids today decisions.
ReplyDeleteAn common example of this is proverb is the situation between wealthy parents and their children. The two parents could decide to raise their child in the best schools with the finest education, expecting them into being successful. But, it really all comes down to whether or not the child actually cares about his future as much as his parents. The parents can't force him into "drinking the water", or having the work ethnic into doing so.
This is a very important qoute in my life because it somewhat pertains to me. It is saying that even though you tell someone how to be great, does not mean they will listen to what you say. You have to let them make their own decisions and suffer the consequences if they messup. It is a part of life that the horse must choose the right decision for himself.
ReplyDeleteI am my own example in my opnion. I use to not really care about football at all and let it just be something I do in the afternoon. But once I recieved the drive and passion for the sport, I became a dominat presence and worked hard everytime I stepped on the field.
The proverb "you can lead a horse to water, but cannot make it drink" means that you can give somebody an opportunity to do something but that person won't always take the opportunity that was given to them. That person has to make their own decision and there isn't anything you can do about it but hand them the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteMy personal experience is over the summer when I tutored kids in Korea on improving their English. Some students took the opportunity to learn and excelled during the time I was there but others chose not to pay attention and not learn anything while the opportunity was up for grabs.
ReplyDeleteThis proverb you can lead a horse to water,but cannot make it drink, is a usual scenario in life. The moral of this saying is basically that you can do as a lot for a person yet that person has the final say so. Some examples are parents and their children.
Parents and their children is a perfect example of this because no matter how much the parents invest in their child academically and athletically. They still have the final say so in what they want to do in their life and how they want to do it.
The first thing that comes into my mind when I think about this proverb is that you can help someone out by maybe showing them the right path but at the end of the day it's their decision to go down that path or not. The proverb also shows the limits of how much you can actually help someone. It shows these limits through the part that says that "you cannot make it drink". You can't force anyone to do anything so that last part is saying its their choice to go through with it or not because they have the ultimate power to make their own decisions.
ReplyDeleteThis proverb can be represented through the decisions of friends. A lot of my friends are in relationships and with relationships comes problems sometimes. So a lot of my friends come to me for advice. Of course I give them my advice and try to lead them to the right path or the right thing to do. But sometimes they totally ignore what I have to say and end up doing something completely different. I gave my friend the right advice and showed them the right path (You can lead a horse to water) but they choose the other path and I can't do anything else to help them if that's what they want (but you cannot make it drink)