- English translation
Arrogance cuts a person off from their rightful share.
- Literal wording
Pride of the self is a cutting-off of one's portion.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying holds that arrogance works against the arrogant. A person who thinks too highly of themselves ends up deprived of the share they are due or the good fortune that would otherwise have come their way, because pride makes them reject, offend, or overlook what is offered.
It is a moral caution rather than a description of bad luck. The loss is presented as self-inflicted: haughtiness closes doors that humility would have kept open, so the proud person, not chance, is to blame for what slips away.
- When it is used
Fits a moment when someone's arrogance has cost, or may soon cost, them something they could have had: a refused offer, a slighted helper, a missed chance. It can serve as a warning beforehand or as a rueful comment afterward.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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