better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness
better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness proverb: even in the face of hopelessness and discontent, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response, than to complain about the situation.
Proverb
better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness
- Even in the face of hopelessness and discontent, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response, than to complain about the situation.
Forms of better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness
| alternative form | better to light one candle than to curse the darkness |
|---|---|
| alternative form | better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness |
| alternative form | better to light a candle than to curse the darkness |
Origin of better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness
Often claimed to be an ancient Chinese proverb. Also often misattributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. Earliest known usage is a 1907 sermon by English preacher William Lonsdale Watkinson.
Questions about better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness
- What does better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness mean?
- Better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness means even in the face of hopelessness and discontent, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response, than to complain about the situation.
- What part of speech is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness?
- Better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness is a proverb.
Words near better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness in the dictionary
- better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
- better the devil you know than the one you don't
- better the devil you know than the one you don't know
- better to be late than be dead on time
- better to light a candle than to curse the darkness
- better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness
- better to light one candle than to curse the darkness
- better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness
- better versed
- better'n
- better-aimed
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/better_to_light_a_single_candle_than_to_curse_the_darkness. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.