what is it...

[jadeymodel]

If winners never quit why are we told to quit while your ahead?

[Clanad]

I think the full quote is "Winners never quit and quitters never win"... however by comparison "Quit while you're ahead" would not be contrary to the first. Quitting while you're ahead certainly implies the "quitter" in this case is the winner, no?

Several illustrative examples can be given, but one I've seen that I particularly like describes Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa Tenzing Norgay climbing Mt. Everest on May 29, 1953. After reaching the top, they stopped climbing and came back down... surely they were not quitters but winners in a big way.... and certainly quit while they were ahead...

[ll_billym]

Both sayings complement each other however they would be used at different times in the winning process, the first when you are trying to win and the second once you have won.

To combine them:

To win you must never quit and once you have won, go away and win at something else, don't stick around to have your prizes won from you by somebody else.

[Quizmonster]

There are lots of such seemingly contradictory proverbs/sayings.
1 a. Our of sight, out of mind.
b. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

2 a. Look before you leap.
b. He who hesitates is lost.

3 a. You're never too old to learn.
b. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

And so on...this is just the way folk 'wisdom' works.

[squarebear]

"Too many cooks spoil the broth"
"Many hands make light work".

[heathfield]

''Great minds think alike''.
''Fools seldom differ''.
Hands up, those who agree!! ;-)