Proverb Expansion
WISDOM LIES IN CUTTING ONE’S COAT ACCORDING TO ONE’S CLOTH
Wisdom means making the best use of available resources or opportunities to the maximum advantage to oneself by using the best judgment. The type of coat a person has to choose depends upon the size of cloth he has with him. If a person wants to have a coat stitched in his size, he should buy the cloth in required measurement. If the piece of cloth he has is small, he should fix the size of his coat accordingly. If it is a big coat that he wants to make, and he cuts a small piece, he won’t be able to make a coat of the right size. Economically speaking, income is limited and has alternative uses, but wants are unlimited. Wisdom lies in making use of the available income to meet the urgent needs and then, if possible, meet the luxuries. The coat and cloth can be related to income and expenditure also. We should balance our income and expenditure in the right proportion. Our expenditure should never exceed our income. A person who spends more than his income falls into debt. We should always try to live within our means. A wise man adjusts his expenditure to suit his income. Therefore, it has been rightly said that wisdom lies in cutting one’s coat according to one’s cloth.