proverb · Words worth keeping
No pains, no profit.
No pains, no profit.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A worthwhile result may require effort or difficulty. The saying encourages commitment but overstates the connection if it treats suffering as necessary for every gain.
Example
A group accepts the effort of carefully checking a document because that work helps make the final result useful.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Pains and profit are paired as though one always purchases the other. A careful reading can motivate a feasible task that needs sustained work, while distinguishing useful effort from needless harm. Outcomes also depend on resources, support and chance. The phrase does not justify unsafe labour, exploitation or a demand to push through injury. The practical question is what work serves the goal and whether the burden is reasonable.
When to use it
Use it to acknowledge reasonable effort toward a worthwhile result.
Keep in mind
Suffering does not guarantee reward, and harmful conditions are not justified by possible benefit.
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