HonoreDB was pointing out that if you start standing, then the number of times you’ve stood up can never exceed the number of times you’ve fallen down (unless you can stand up while you’re already standing).
maybe, as ninjacolin describes, you have to stand up once BEFORE you fall down.
So, in fact, to end up standing, you MUST stand up one more time than you fall down (unless you assume that everyone starts out standing, which they don’t).
Is that what the proverb means? Not necessarilly… but the math isn’t wrong.
HonoreDB was pointing out that if you start standing, then the number of times you’ve stood up can never exceed the number of times you’ve fallen down (unless you can stand up while you’re already standing).
You could sit down without falling.
maybe, as ninjacolin describes, you have to stand up once BEFORE you fall down. So, in fact, to end up standing, you MUST stand up one more time than you fall down (unless you assume that everyone starts out standing, which they don’t).
Is that what the proverb means? Not necessarilly… but the math isn’t wrong.