He who sleeps, is a jackass
Shanzeh told me she heard this proverb from her parents. It would be used in the morning when they would try and get her out of bed if she was moving quite slowly. In all honesty the saying never convinced me to get up, but Ill always remember it because my parents always said it. It basically tells one to wake up and live their life. Life is short and we can sleep after that, right now it is important to live your life to the fullest. Shanzeh also commented on the bluntness of this proverb. I told there that it actually follows exactly what a proverb should be, it is fixed phrase and expresses a particular world view. In her opinion the word jackass is not meant to be taken literally, it is better to say that you are being lazy if you lie in bed for too long and that you would be wise to get up and start your day. Shanzeh added that although she does enjoy her sleep in college but feels much better getting up early and taking advantage of the full day, always remembering the proverb of her parents.
I really like this proverb for that very reason, the outlook expressed in this proverb, although phrased very bluntly is actually very optimistic. This is trying to convey the message that life is too precious to waste lying in bed and you would be a fool to do so. When I heard this I was also reminded of the classic American proverb by Ben Franklin: the early bird catches the worm. Both proverbs encourage the same values of time management and taking advantage of the early morning hours to attack the day and make the most of life. This proverb is meant to encourage people from being lazy and to really use their time here on earth very wisely. If one really examines this proverb on a very deep level, it would speak to some concept of the afterlife. Our time is very limited and we best make the most of it while we can because there is no guarantee about what is going to happen after we pass from earth. So get up early and enjoy life.