proverb · Source-linked selection
He that shows his purse longs to be rid of it.
He that shows his purse longs to be rid of it.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Displaying resources can expose them to unwanted attention. The saying exaggerates that risk as though the display proves a wish to lose them.
What the words are saying
The purse is shown openly, and the observer interprets the act as inviting its loss. It can encourage thoughtful privacy around valuable resources. It must not blame a victim for someone else’s theft or imply that an observer is entitled to take what is visible. A useful reading concerns proportionate care while leaving responsibility for wrongdoing with the person who commits it.
Everyday example
A group avoids unnecessarily publishing details of its valuable equipment while recognising that theft would remain the thief’s responsibility.
When to use it
Use it to consider unnecessary exposure of resources.
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What it does not mean
Visibility is not consent to theft, and a victim is not responsible for another person’s wrongdoing.
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
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1317 · Purse
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English