Proverb - Practice Makes A Man Perfect
![]() |
Proverb - Practice Makes A Man Perfect |
Meaning
The saying 'practice makes a man perfect' asserts that when you try at something, you master it. By practice, it means doing that thing over and over again. It can be anything like studies, sports, or any other thing. If you keep repeating that work continuously then you achieve excellence in that certain work or field.
Let us take the example of a student who has to appear for his exams after a few months. Practically he is weak in maths subject and wants to do well in this exam. If he practices maths continuously, he will become good in that subject and also score good marks. This is what this proverb wants to convey.
Example
Example is the best way to understand the true meaning of any proverb. Keeping this in mind, I have come up with some recent examples based on the proverb 'practice makes a man perfect' which will help you understand this proverb better.
“A surgeon, who is performing surgery regularly, becomes so perfect that the patient can trust him blindly for his life.”
“A pilot has to fly alone for several hundred hours before being put in charge of a public aircraft because constant practice perfects him enough to be put in charge of the lives of others.”
“A goldsmith perfects his art only after repeated and persistent practice.”
“Major Dhyan Chand, the greatest hockey player in history, perfected himself in the game to such an extent that people called him a magician. When he used to run with the ball, it seemed as if the ball was stuck to his hockey stick. He could reach this level of perfection only because of his practice.
“Sir Don Bradman, the most popular batsman of all time, used to practice for many hours every day during his childhood. He had practiced so hard that at the age of just 12 he scored his first century.
Origin
The origin of the phrase 'practice makes a man perfect' can be traced back to the 1550s. A Latin phrase was very popular during that time – 'uses promptos facit' which when translated into English means 'use makes perfect'.
Although the phrase is similar to a proverb, it states that repeated use of something makes it perfect. Also, the person using that particular thing will also get used to it.
The apt saying – 'Practice makes a man perfect' appeared in the diary and autobiography of John Adams, an American statesman and author.
Expansion of idea
The saying 'practice makes a man perfect' shows that a person can master anything if he practices regularly. This proverb is applicable in every field and it does not apply to any one thing.
Practice here means practicing continuously what you want to achieve. It may be different for different people. For students, practice means studying over and over again; For a sportsman, practicing regularly in his particular sport; For a teacher, teaching students, etc. All of them become perfect in their respective fields just by practicing regularly whatever they do.
This is what it means to be perfect. If you practice a certain thing regularly, consistently, over and over again, you become perfect at that task.
Importance
The saying 'practice makes a man perfect' is a very important saying in a way that teaches us one of the biggest lessons in life. It fits right for every person who is fulfilling his dreams in his field. The message is very simple – you must practice what you are doing if you want to excel in a particular field.
It is only through practice that one can reach perfection and become successful. This proverb is as important for students as it is for working professionals and businessmen.
Short stories on 'Practice makes the man perfect'
As I have been telling earlier also that story is a better medium to understand the moral quality of a proverb. Today I have come up with some stories for you so that you can better understand the meaning of the saying 'practice makes the man perfect'.
short story
A boy lived in a village in India. Although he was a diligent student, he was very weak in mathematics. No matter how attentively he used to listen to his teacher, the subject was beyond his understanding. Despite his genuine intentions, not everyone, even his teachers, could correct his subject. Then, his grandfather, himself a teacher in the olden days, hatched a plan. His grandfather was sure that he would make the child better, even in maths, the subject he feared the most.
That grandfather asked the boy to take out one hour everyday, neither a minute less nor a minute more than that. In that one hour, grandpa will teach maths to that boy. He was very strict about his routine. Come what may, he did not forget his class, and this went on for a month.
Exams came nearer. The boy was confused as to what to revise as all the lessons seemed good to him, thanks to his regular practice. Everyone was surprised when the boy, not only in his class but in the whole school, scored the highest marks in Mathematics. When he was asked the secret of his success, he told that all the credit goes to his grandfather. He also told that at the beginning of each day's practice his grandfather used to say to him – 'Practice makes a man perfect'.
short story
Once upon a time, there was a young girl living in Japan who had always aspired to be a singer. Singing was her hobby and it was something she always wanted to do. He got a coach who was a very disciplinarian boy. He asked the girl to practice the same song over and over again, every day for months. This leaves the girl very upset and runs away and makes up her mind to give up singing. Once it happens that luckily she happens to be eating at a hotel where a singing competition is going on.
His host asked anyone from the general public to come and sing a song of their choice. The girl gets ready and sings the same song she rehearsed for months. His performance was so great that his judge asked him who is your coach? Then the girl realized that her teacher was a true guide who made her achieve this perfection through constant practice. That girl was none other than the famous Japanese singer Fubuki Koshiji.