proverb · Words worth keeping
No man can serve two masters.
No man can serve two masters.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Two competing authorities or commitments can make dependable service difficult. The saying asks whether their demands can be reconciled, before someone promises to satisfy both as though no conflict exists.
Example
A volunteer asked to staff two rooms at the same time tells both coordinators about the overlap so they can agree a workable allocation.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The two masters stand for demands that may require different actions from the same person. In a useful figurative reading, the problem is incompatible direction rather than simply having more than one task or relationship. Someone can fulfil several roles when expectations are clear and workable. The difficulty arises when each commitment requires what the other rules out. Naming that conflict may allow priorities, boundaries or a revised agreement to be established. The proverb does not itself decide which claim deserves precedence. It prompts examination of the actual demands, rather than unquestioning loyalty to one authority or an assumption that cooperation between several people is impossible.
When to use it
Use it when incompatible expectations need to be made explicit before commitments are renewed.
Keep in mind
Distinguish genuine conflicts from manageable multiple roles; the saying does not choose the rightful priority for you.
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