phrase
Look Before You Leap
Check the situation before committing — the proverb of every cautious lawyer and second-guessing parent.
Origin
In Aesop's fable of the fox and the goat — the goat jumps into a well without checking how to get out, and the fox climbs out on his back. The English form appears in William Caxton's *Aesop* (1484) and is standard by Heywood's 1546 proverb collection: 'Loke ere ye leape.'
Modern usage
Quoted at every impulsive move — quitting a job, marrying fast, buying a house unseen, signing a contract unread, jumping into a startup. The cautionary counterpart to [[fortune-favors-the-bold]] and [[strike-while-the-iron-is-hot]]. Standard advice in legal, financial, and parental contexts.
Tags
caution
aesop
proverb