Meaning & Analysis
For two of life's most important endeavors, getting married and achieving prosperity, a man should seek advice from as many people as possible to ensure a good outcome.
Insights
Wisdom of the Crowd
The proverb champions the value of collective wisdom over individual instinct, especially for irreversible, life-altering decisions. 'All the world' serves as a metaphor for a diversity of experience and perspective, which is essential for comprehensive risk assessment.
Risk Mitigation
It frames life's major choices as high-stakes ventures that require extensive due diligence. Seeking broad counsel is a method of mitigating the inherent risks in love and business, preventing a potential 'curse' where a 'blessing' was expected.
Humility in Judgment
The proverb suggests that humility is a prerequisite for success. By advising a man to seek counsel, it implies that his own judgment is insufficient and that acknowledging one's limitations is the first step toward making a wise choice.
Pragmatic View of Marriage
Reflecting its 16th-century origins, the proverb treats marriage ('wiving') as a strategic decision akin to a business venture ('thriving'), where personal feelings might be secondary to social and economic outcomes. This contrasts with the modern, romantic ideal of marriage, highlighting a significant cultural shift.
Psychological Safeguard
The proverb's advice to consult 'all the world' is a psychological safeguard against the powerful emotional biases inherent in choosing a life partner and pursuing wealth. It acknowledges that love and ambition can cloud judgment, making objective, external perspectives essential for avoiding disastrous errors.
Gendered Perspective
The phrasing 'a man should take counsel' is indicative of the patriarchal context of the era, where major life decisions were framed as a man's prerogative. The woman in the act of 'wiving' is positioned as a component of the man's strategy for success, rather than an equal partner in the decision.
Interdependence of Love and Fortune
The proverb intrinsically links marital and financial success, suggesting they are interdependent. A poor choice in a spouse could lead to financial ruin, while a good one could be a cornerstone of prosperity. This reflects a timeless understanding that personal relationships have profound economic consequences.
Rhetorical Devices
Alliteration and Rhyme
The rhyming and alliterative pair 'wiving and thriving' creates a memorable and cohesive phrase, sonically linking the two concepts and making the advice more impactful.
Hyperbole
The phrase 'counsel of all the world' is a dramatic overstatement used to stress the importance of gathering a wide range of opinions. It effectively communicates the gravity of the decision without being taken literally.
Parallelism
The parallel structure of 'In wiving and thriving' gives equal weight to both marriage and financial success, reinforcing the idea that they are interconnected and of similar importance in a man's life.
Transcription
Quotations
They say, that in wiving and thriving a man should take counsel of all the world, lest he light upon a curse while he seeks for a blessing.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.