proverb · Words worth keeping
If there were no receivers there would be no thieves.
If there were no receivers there would be no thieves.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A market for stolen goods can help sustain theft. The saying directs responsibility toward those who knowingly enable or benefit from wrongdoing.
Example
A buyer refuses an offer clearly described as stolen instead of treating a low price as sufficient reason to accept it.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The receiver is treated as part of the chain that makes stealing worthwhile. This widens attention beyond the person who takes an item to those who facilitate its disposal. The absolute claim goes too far: removing one route does not prove that all theft would stop. A careful reading also distinguishes knowing participation from an innocent purchase. The relevant question is whether someone is helping a harmful practice continue.
When to use it
Use it to examine knowing support for a harmful trade or practice.
Keep in mind
It is not a complete explanation of theft or a statement of current legal liability.
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