Czech Proverb: Kam vítr, tam plást
English translation: Where the wind blows, goes the coat.
What do you think this proverb means?
(a) The proverb is about having no fixed position on a topic. It describes a person who changes his/her opinion based on what he/she thinks others want to hear.
(b) The proverb is about being prepared. It describes a person who plans ahead for all eventualities; for example, if the weather forecast is for wind, that person brings a coat.
(c) The proverb is about flexibility. It describes the ability to adapt to changing situations and technologies.
The answer is (a). This proverb is used to describe a negative characteristic; the tendency to change one's mind multiple times in order to always seem to be agreeing with the prevailing opinion or popular viewpoint on a topic. In US politics, this has become known as 'flip-flopping.'
Thanks to my student Pavla for sharing this proverb, and to the author of Ara-bomshell's blog for permission to use her photo.
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