Meaning & Analysis
This is a paradoxical statement where the literal meaning is illogical. It states that as one moves forward in distance or time, one simultaneously falls further behind, which defies the laws of physics. Its meaning is therefore entirely metaphorical.
Insights
Progress in the Wrong Direction
The proverb describes a situation where the chosen path or method is fundamentally wrong. Consequently, any effort expended only serves to increase the distance from the intended goal, making the problem worse.
Futility of Flawed Effort
It illustrates the concept of a counterproductive effort, where actions taken to solve a problem or advance a cause are inherently flawed and only compound the issue. It is the classic scenario of 'digging oneself into a deeper hole'.
Chasing an Unattainable Goal
The saying can symbolize the pursuit of an ever-receding or unattainable goal. The more one strives, the more one becomes aware of the vastness of the gap between their current state and the desired end, creating a sense of falling further behind.
Moral and Spiritual Error
The proverb's frequent appearance in 16th-century English literature, including by figures like Thomas More and Edmund Spenser, suggests its resonance during a period of intense religious and social upheaval. It often served as a metaphor for straying from a righteous path, where every step in the wrong direction only increases the spiritual distance from salvation or truth.
Psychology of Futility
This proverb perfectly encapsulates the psychological experience of realizing one is on the wrong path. The mounting frustration and sense of futility that comes from investing effort only to worsen one's position is a powerful and universally understood human experience.
Critique of Misguided Progress
The proverb serves as a timeless warning against persisting with a flawed strategy. In modern terms, it can describe accumulating technical debt, pursuing a failed business model, or getting deeper into financial debt; in each case, continued action leads to a worse outcome.
Rhetorical Devices
Paradox
The central power of the proverb lies in its use of paradox, presenting a logically impossible scenario to expose a deeper truth about misguided efforts and flawed journeys.
Parallelism
The repeated structure 'The farther... the farther...' creates a memorable and emphatic rhythm, syntactically linking the action directly to its negative and unexpected consequence.
Allegory
The proverb functions as an allegory for any situation where action leads to regression, using the simple physical act of 'going' to represent complex endeavors like intellectual pursuits, moral journeys, or strategic plans.
Transcription
Quotations
The farther they leue hym the farther behynde hym.
Than haue we well walked after the balade. The further I goo the more behynde.
The farder I go, the more I am behynde.
(ye go).
In all his dealings the more he ranne, the more behynd.
The farther he goeth, the farther he is from the end.
The farther he went the more was behinde.
The further he doth goe, the further he doth stray.
The further you run, the further you are behind.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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