proverb · Words worth keeping
Jest not at another's infirmities.
Jest not at another's infirmities.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Do not make another person’s difficulties or impairments the object of a joke. The saying asks for consideration, without requiring every serious matter to be humourless or assuming what the person themselves finds acceptable.
Example
A host stops a running joke about a guest’s difficulty using the steps and asks privately what access arrangement would help them participate.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The proverb places a limit on jest when its target is another person’s infirmities. A useful reading recognises that a joke can expose, embarrass or diminish someone rather than create shared enjoyment. The historical word need not become a label imposed on the person. Consider the particular relationship, the audience and whether the person can freely express a preference. Humour chosen by someone about their own experience is different from others deciding it is available for ridicule. The saying encourages listening and respect, not diagnosing an impairment or declaring every joke unacceptable regardless of context.
When to use it
Use it when humour turns another person’s difficulty into public ridicule.
Keep in mind
Respect privacy and the person’s own preferences; the saying does not establish a diagnosis or decide consent for them.
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