There are plenty of occasions when one person is assigned a large amount of work. Perhaps it is setting up for a large birthday party or even cleaning up after a family meal. If there are more people around to help, the work will go more quickly and there will be less resentment. One way to capture this sentiment is by saying many hands make light work. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n
The meaning of many hands makes light work easy to understand. It means that with collaboration, a workload will be much lighter overall. It is another way of saying that when people work together to reach a goal, getting there will be much easier than going it alone.<\/strong><\/p>\n It is a proverb that has been used since ancient times to help encourage collaboration and cooperation. It is also another way of saying that the overall workload will be much less when many people share the same tasks. Doing something quickly and more efficiently was preferred, especially during times when manual labor was at an all-time high.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to ask for help if you need it, many hands make light work\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIn order to do the most possible in a short amount of time, keep in mind that many hands make light work\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand that many hands make light work, but it is not something I can get my husband to understand\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cVisiting the campgrounds with my family taught me that many hands make light work\u201d.<\/p>\n The saying many hands make light work is thought to have come from medieval England. During medieval times, there was a common goal of protecting those that are weak and vulnerable through the efforts of those more capable. In other instances, many weaker people banding together would be able to fortify a position for the benefit of the whole. For example, in those times, during high winds, several people would shield a flame with their hands to prevent the candle from going out. This made \u201clight\u201d work through the efforts of the collective.<\/p>\n The phrase is also thought to have originated in the 1300s. The first time it was seen in print was a story that was printed in a book of proverbs. The author, Sir Bevis of Hampton was known for its creation, and later in 1500, John Heywood also included the phrase in his books.<\/p>\nExample Usage<\/h2>\n
Origin<\/h2>\n