proverb · Words worth keeping
Advise and counsel him; if he does not listen, let adversity teach him.
Advise and counsel him; if he does not listen, let adversity teach him.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Advice rejected and adversity left to teach contrast offered guidance with learning through consequences. The saying questions how far counsel can direct another person’s choices.
What the words are saying
A responsible interpretation does not endorse withholding necessary help, arranging harm or treating suffering as deserved instruction. Advice may be unsuitable or unwanted, and capacity and consent matter. A useful application can respect another’s agency while leaving support available and addressing serious concerns appropriately.
Everyday example
Someone offers relevant guidance, respects a refusal and keeps practical support available rather than hoping for punishment.
When to use it
Use it to discuss limits of advice without abandoning support.
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What it does not mean
No permission to cause or celebrate harm or duty to accept every suggestion is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 582; PDF page 54; collection label: Assyria/Ethiopia
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Assyria/Ethiopia