count the cost
KOWNT the KOST
kaʊnt ðə kɒstListen
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Dictionary meaning
to consider carefully the full consequences, sacrifices, and negative effects of a course of action before committing to it; rooted in biblical wisdom literature (Luke 14:28, which asks who builds a tower without first sitting down to count the cost) and extended into secular usage as a counsel of practical prudence; the phrase warns against impulsive decisions that look attractive until the full price becomes apparent, and encourages a comprehensive accounting of what will be required — in time, resources, relationships, and personal cost — before committing to a significant undertaking
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