proverb · Words worth keeping
Hidden troubles disquiet most.
Hidden troubles disquiet most.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An unspoken trouble can be especially unsettling when it cannot be understood or addressed. The saying draws attention to the burden of what remains hidden.
What the words are saying
Hidden troubles are given a stronger disturbing force than those in view. This can encourage finding a trustworthy way to name a concern and decide what help is needed. It does not prove that every private matter should be disclosed or that concealment is the person’s fault. A useful reading respects privacy and safety while distinguishing chosen privacy from isolation that prevents needed support.
Everyday example
Someone chooses a trusted person with whom to discuss a concern they have been carrying alone.
When to use it
Use it to consider whether safe support could help with an unspoken concern.
What it does not mean
Disclosure is a choice requiring care; privacy is not inherently harmful.
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 1662 · Troubles
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English