Proverbial maxims are concise provocative sayings that expressed practical wisdom and rule of conduct in colourful language . Frequently, it is a principle dressed up in an illustration. For instance, "snails leave their trial of slime behind them, and so do vain thoughts." The pragmatic nature of these short, pithy sayings focus on everyday living. In essence, it is putting godliness into "working clothes."

"Indeed a dose of wisdom a day keeps foolishness at bay." This is especially so, when a believer earnestly take this wise sayings to be their meditative instructions (musar) regularly. The doorway to the palace of Solomon is the enlightened knowledge of our own ignorance and folly. Seeing things from God's perspective is the foresight and hindsight of wisdom. "A wise man sees as much as he ought, not as much as he can." (Michel de Montaigne)