“Turning over a new leaf” means starting fresh, often to improve personal behavior. The phrase comes from turning a page in a book, not from spring leaves. It can refer to making New Year’s resolutions or improving relationships. It can also apply to cities or entities. Personal improvement is always possible.
The term “turning over a new leaf” is used to refer to making a new beginning. It is often used specifically to describe changes in personal behavior that are made with the goal of being a better person. Many people are encouraged to do this if they are having difficulty with interpersonal relationships, as a way of asking them to think about how their own behaviors might affect their interactions with other people.
From the sound, one might think that this phrase is related to freshly blooming green leaves in spring, which bring a pleasant image of renewal and new beginnings. The term actually refers to turning a page in a book, however, and dates back to the 1500s. The implication is that one is turning the previous page with the bad behavior and starting over on a fresh page.
Supposedly, when accused of recidivism after promising to change, Oscar Wilde once said he was serious about moving on, but hadn’t gotten to the bottom of the page yet. He allegedly assured his critic that as soon as he was done, he would keep his promise.
In the context of personal behavior, moving on can take many forms. Many New Year’s resolutions are a form of fresh start, with people vowing to make changes in their lifestyles that should be worthwhile. People could also vow at any time of the year to make changes in the way they treat colleagues or employees with the aim of making their work environment more pleasant, or to change their attitude towards authority figures in the hope to get along.
The term is also sometimes used more generally to refer to entities, rather than specific individuals. For example, a city that has radically changed its policies on some issues could be said to be moving on, and the term would also be used to refer to improvement.
Many people believe that every moment is a good time to move on and that there is always room for personal improvement. By carefully examining one’s past relationships and present behavior, it is sometimes possible to find an area for improvement that could be addressed by deciding to change and start a new page.
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