Proverbs are so contradictory.

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There are so many proverbs that we hear very often throughout our lives, but they don't really have much meaning to them. They suggest that everyone should live the same way, and that there is a right and wrong way to live life, when there really isn't. I really don't like them, cliches and proverbs are misleading and many of them are harshly overused. For example, we are told not to run away from our problems. But what about being proactive? What about doing what we have to? A woman who lives with her kids and abusive husband should escape to a battered women's shelter or move in with a relative or friend, and get away from the situation, and get her kids out of there, too. We'd never criticize her for saving herself and her kids for "running away from her problems." We shouldn't count our chickens before they hatch. We should wait, and not be too rash in our decisions. But what about taking risks, and being spontaneous and fearless? The early bird does get the worm, after all. What about the value of the underdog who stands up for himself? Fighting back? But we tell our kids to tattle to a teacher if someone makes fun of them or pushes them around, not to fight back. I think these are all examples of traditional, one-way thinking. They're not very good instructions. It's just so much more important to think for yourself, and develop an intuition, and values, but to remain flexible. After all, there's no way to prepare someone for each and every possible situation that could ever come their way.