proverb · Words worth keeping
When the king makes a mistake, all the people suffer.
When the king makes a mistake, all the people suffer.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A king’s error making everyone suffer emphasises the broad reach of powerful decisions. The saying gives leadership responsibility a public consequence.
Example
A community examines the effects of an official decision and asks who can address the resulting problem.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
All is an exaggeration rather than proof that each person is affected identically. A useful interpretation traces actual decisions and consequences without assuming every leader’s mistake has the same result. Accountability and remedies should concern the evidence, not merely the ruler label.
When to use it
Use it to discuss consequential authority with actual harms identified.
Keep in mind
No universal impact on everyone or identical effect of every leadership error is established.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
China
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- China