- English translation
An eye that was once as soft as water can end up as hard as stone.
- Literal wording
The eye, after it has been water, becomes stone.
- Meaning and lesson
The eye stands here for modesty and bashfulness, not eyesight or tears. When it is like water, it is soft, yielding and quick to lower itself in shame. When it turns to stone, it is hard and unflinching. The image traces a change from bashful restraint to a toughened face that no longer blushes.
The point concerns circumstance rather than character, so it does not brand anyone as shameless by nature. A courteous, shy person, once driven past their limits or thrown into hard dealings, may be forced to set aside their reticence and act with a boldness once unthinkable to them.
- When it is used
Use it when a normally reserved, well-mannered person turns blunt or bold because a situation has pushed them too far. It explains or excuses that change rather than praising rudeness, and can warn that constant pressure may wear down another person's restraint.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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