(it's) better to light a (single) candle than to curse the darkness
proverb It is better to do something, no matter how minor, that can improve a situation rather than simply complaining about it. A: "This whole situation is so messed up. We'll never get out of it!" B: "Well, I know it's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. So I'm sure there's something we can do to try to fix things." Stop whining about how your life is stuck in a rut and do something about it—anything at all! Better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness. I definitely feel that it's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness—when I ruminate and feel sorry for myself, it just makes everything worse.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.