proverb · Words worth keeping
That which is evil is soon learnt.
That which is evil is soon learnt.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An unhelpful practice can be picked up quickly through example or convenience. The saying encourages attention to what is being learned, without claiming that harmful habits are inevitable or that a person cannot change.
Example
A new volunteer copies a rushed labelling shortcut, then changes the method after seeing that it makes the records harder for others to use.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The contrast in the saying concerns how readily something called evil may be learned. A useful reading notices that imitation can happen before the learner has considered the conduct’s consequences. A shortcut or careless manner may spread because it seems easy, familiar or rewarded in the immediate setting. That does not establish that every person will adopt it or that slower learning is necessarily better. The word evil also needs a clear application rather than becoming a label for someone disliked. The proverb can prompt examination of a particular practice and the example being offered, while leaving room to question, refuse or replace what has been learned.
When to use it
Use it when an unhelpful practice is being copied without examining its consequences.
Keep in mind
Identify the conduct and its effects; avoid treating a person as permanently bad or unable to learn differently.
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