- English translation
Anyone who survives it is left out of their mind.
- Literal wording
Whoever escapes death goes mad.
- Meaning and lesson
This saying casts an experience as so appalling that survival itself seems to carry an unbearable aftermath. Its force lies in presenting the event as beyond what a person could endure without being overwhelmed.
It is a hyperbolic way to emphasize that a misfortune or occurrence was extraordinarily severe. The imagined survivor is not simply shaken; they are depicted as having lost their reason under the weight of what happened.
- When it is used
Use it to heighten the perceived severity of a calamity or an exceptionally grave event. The expression is strongly dramatic, portraying the experience as one that would overwhelm anyone who lived through it.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Anyone who survives it is left out of their mind.