proverb · Source-linked selection
War, hunting, and law, are as full of trouble as pleasure.
War, hunting, and law, are as full of trouble as pleasure.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An undertaking that promises excitement or satisfaction can also bring serious trouble. The three examples question an account that notices only pleasure.
What the words are saying
War, hunting and law are grouped as activities with both appealing and burdensome aspects. The saying can encourage looking beyond a hoped-for gain toward costs and responsibilities. It does not establish that each contains an equal amount of pleasure or harm, or provide advice on participating in them. A useful interpretation examines the actual undertaking and the people affected instead of letting an attractive description settle the decision.
Everyday example
Someone considering a demanding dispute asks what effort and consequences it involves rather than imagining only a favourable result.
When to use it
Use it to question a one-sided picture of an undertaking’s rewards.
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What it does not mean
The comparison is not a measured balance of costs or legal guidance.
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
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1714 · War
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English