What does expect the worst hope for the best mean?

When he leaves the house with two dollars in his pocket, or, no jacket because, "It's a nice day out" - even though he won't be back until night...

And I, I am the Harpy from Hell, because I repeat this word ad alta voce each winter morning when he heads out without a hat and gloves because he's "gonna be in the car" and there is no such thing as a flat tire or breakdown in his universe...

To me, this proverb will always be my father’s best advice. Having been involved in the performing arts since a young age, I have countless distinct memories of my father reciting this proverb to me as he picked me up from auditions. He said it before I opened every college admission letter. No matter what I was doing, I could always count on him telling me to “hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” I don’t think of it as being optimistic or skeptical, it’s just real. One of the things I love about this proverb is that it can apply to not just any situation, but any culture. I briefly Googled this proverb after my interview, and found that there really is no origin to it. There are countless articles with countless nationalities. I think this saying speaks to the human experience in general: we’re all just trying to live life the best we can. We want to see the beauty in the world, but not be hurt by life’s struggles. It’s theater’s drama and comedy, or Chinese mythology’s Yin and Yang. We are all trying to find a balance. 

Around 46 BC, Cicero wrote to a friend saying, "you must hope for the best"; but the first known use of the full expression is in The Tragedie of Gorbuduc by Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville (1561) which was performed by the Gentlemen of the Inner Temple before Queen Elizabeth I in 1562.

It is believed that Norton wrote the first three acts and Sackville the last two. It the earliest known tragedy written in English and the first full length play composed in blank verse. Not considered a work of great literary merit, the play's subject matter is an ancient British monarch who quarrels with his two sons. It warns the young Queen of the dangers of misgovernment and depicts a family and a country torn apart by civil war.

A bit over forty years later, Shakespeare wrote King Lear (first produced in 1605). At first glance it might seem that he took the idea of a king quarreling with his children from The Tragedie of Gorbuduc and upped the ante from two sons to three daughters. But actually, his tragedy is based on the story of Leir, a legendary king of the Britons who makes his first appearance in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae written in the 12th century. According to Geoffrey, Leir and his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia, were descendants of Brutus of Troy (the legendary founder of Britain), who in turn was a descendant of the Trojan hero Aeneas.

If you’ve ever had to bunker down during a natural disaster or prepare for a long winter, you’ve heard the term “hope for the best and prepare for the worst.” This means that you want the situation to go well, but you’ll be prepared if it goes badly.

Origin of Hope for The Best Prepare for The Worst

The term was originally the other way around, reading as “prepare for the worst but hope for the best.” The book The Wondrous Tale of Alroy by Benjamin Disraeli was published in 1833 and uses the phrase in chapter three. This is believed by many to be the first instance of the words.

A similar quote is from the poet Maya Angelou. “Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” She likely knew the beginning from popular colloquialisms and added the rest herself.

There are many literary texts where the phrase appears, but historians can’t decide on the original usage. Back in the day, it was common to trade phrases from other languages, other writers, and even slaves.

Meaning of Hope for The Best Prepare for The Worst

When you hope for the best but prepare for the worst, you’re choosing to hope the situation will end in your favor while actively preparing for the worst possible outcome.

An example of this is preparing for a hurricane. You hope the storm will pass over, and there will be no damage (this is the best-case scenario). However, you still prepare for the possibility your house and belongings could be destroyed by evacuating safely, battening down the hatches, and securing anything loose in the house. This is the worst-case scenario.

It doesn’t have to be for an inevitable, looming threat. You can also apply this to road trips. You hope everything will go well and you’ll arrive at your destination smoothly, but just in case your car breaks down, you pack extra water bottles and snacks, flares, and a car jack.

It’s important not to lose control of your “preparedness.” Being overly prepared or cautious can harm your health and lead to paranoia. It’s how you go from having extra non-perishables on hand to building a nuclear fall-out shelter stocked with military rations.

Similar Phrases to Hope for The Best Prepare for The Worst

• Expect the best but be ready for the worst
• Stay positive but remain cautious
• Look ahead without fear but remember potential dangers

Opposite Phrases to Hope for The Best Prepare for The Worst

• Don’t worry, be happy
• Throwing caution to the wind
• Nothing matters, and consequences aren’t real
• Live life recklessly
• Expect the worst at all times

Conclusion

The term “hope for the best prepare for the worst” is thought to have originated in a novel titled The Wondrous Tale of Alroy in the 1830s. No one can prove this for sure, but we know the phrase has been used numerous times in media culture and literary sources.

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