proverb · Legacy record
The humble pay for the mistakes of their betters.
The humble pay for the mistakes of their betters.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The humble paying for the mistakes of their betters pictures less powerful people bearing the consequences of those above them. It questions an unequal distribution of cost.
What the words are saying
Betters functions as a status label rather than proof of greater human worth. The supplied humble-reply gloss mistakes bearing a cost for answering humbly. A responsible interpretation assesses actual decisions and consequences rather than treating inequality as deserved or blaming all people of one status.
Everyday example
A group asks whether those with less authority are unfairly carrying the consequences of a leader’s decision.
When to use it
Use it to examine responsibility and unequal burdens with status separated from worth.
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What it does not mean
No superior human worth or deserved transfer of blame is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or 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
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 997; PDF page 139
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.