proverb · Words worth keeping
He that cannot abide a bad market deserves not a good one.
He that cannot abide a bad market deserves not a good one.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying asks for steadiness when conditions become less favourable, rather than enjoyment only when things go well. Its complaint about deserving a good market should not imply that suffering earns success or that someone must tolerate an unfair arrangement.
Example
A festival organiser who welcomed full bookings calmly revises the programme when attendance falls, while still questioning an unfair venue charge.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The contrast between a bad market and a good one turns changing conditions into a test of attitude. Someone welcomes the favourable occasion but becomes unable to bear any disappointment when the situation changes. A useful figurative reading asks whether the person can respond to a setback with proportion and practical attention. The word deserves adds a harsher moral judgment that need not be accepted. Enduring difficulty does not purchase a future reward, and leaving an exploitative situation can be sensible. The saying works best as a reminder about consistency, rather than a demand that people accept every disadvantage.
When to use it
Use it to discuss proportionate responses to changing circumstances.
Keep in mind
Unfair treatment need not be endured, and setbacks do not determine anyone’s worth.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their 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
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English