look before you leap

L

look before you leap (proverb)
/ˈlʊk bɪˈfɔːr juː liːp/

Meaning

• Always think carefully before taking action, especially when the consequences are uncertain or risky.
• Exercise caution and consider potential dangers or outcomes before making a decision.
• Be sure to evaluate the situation fully before you commit to something that may have lasting effects.
• Use good judgment and reflect on possible results before rushing into new plans or choices.
• Avoid acting impulsively by taking time to understand what you’re getting into beforehand.

Example Sentences

1. It’s wise to look before you leap, especially when making big life decisions like marriage.
2. Before investing all his savings in the startup, he decided to look before he leapt.
3. You should always look before you leap when choosing a new job in a different country.
4. She didn’t look before she leapt and ended up stuck in a contract she couldn’t afford.
5. If they’d looked before they leapt, they wouldn’t be facing these legal issues now.

Origin and History

Aesop’s Fables: Early Illustrations of the Proverb’s Principle

One prominent theory traces the essence of “look before you leap” to Aesop’s fables, dating back to around 570 B.C. Two stories in particular encapsulate the proverb’s underlying message:

• The Fox and the Goat: In this tale, a fox finds itself trapped in a well. A passing goat, seeking water, is deceived by the fox into jumping into the well. The fox then uses the goat’s back to escape, leaving the goat stranded. The fox’s parting words highlight the importance of foresight: “You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down before you had inspected the way up.” ​
• The Two Frogs: This fable narrates the story of two frogs contemplating a move to a well. One frog suggests it as a permanent residence due to the abundance of water. The other wisely points out the potential danger: once in, they might not be able to get out if the water dries up. This story underscores the value of evaluating outcomes before making decisions. ​

While these fables don’t use the exact wording of the proverb, they embody its core lesson: the necessity of assessing situations before acting.

Medieval Manuscripts: The Proverb Takes Shape

The phrase begins to resemble its modern form in medieval English literature. A notable example is found in a 1350 manuscript housed in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. The text advises, “First loke and aftirward lepe; Avyse the welle, or thow speke,” which translates to “First look and afterward leap; Advise well before you speak.” This early iteration emphasizes the importance of deliberation prior to action.

John Heywood’s Compilation: Cementing the Proverb in English Vernacular

The earliest printed record of the exact phrase “look before you leap” appears in John Heywood’s 1546 work, A Dialogue Containing the Number in Effect of All the Proverbs in the English Tongue. Heywood’s collection was instrumental in documenting and popularizing numerous English proverbs. In this context, the phrase is used specifically concerning the prudence required before entering into marriage:

“And though they seeme wives for you never so fit, Yet let not harmfull haste so far out run your wit: But that ye harke to heare all the whole summe That may please or displease you in time to cumme. Thus by these lessons ye may learne good cheape In wedding and all things to looke ere ye leaped.”

This passage underscores the necessity of thorough consideration before making binding commitments.

Synonyms

1. better safe than sorry
2. weigh your options

Variants

• look ere you leap
• look before ye leap
• first look and then leap
• look before leaping

About the Author

Elena Jones holds a PhD in Education from Harvard University. She has extensive experience teaching at both the K–12 and university levels, with a particular focus on English as a Second Language. Elena has dedicated her career to advancing educational practices, and she has contributed to numerous educational journals.

Before, Proverbs