Painterly open brass compass on moss beside a muddy bootprint.

Original artwork, not a still

Sententiae

Publilius Syrus

A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The proverb holds that something constantly in motion never builds up moss, meaning that a restless person fails to gather roots, possessions or steady gains. It can be read as a warning against drifting, though moss might just as easily be seen as stagnation, so the saying invites both readings.

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