- English translation
"Dad, how do I learn to be shameless?" "Easy: jump into some petty business and put yourself in charge of it."
- Literal wording
"Father, teach me nerve." He said: "Come into the trifling thing and set yourself at its front."
- Meaning and lesson
The proverb stages a short dialogue in which a child asks to be taught a thick skin, meaning an unblushing, hardened face rather than admirable firmness, and the father replies that the method is simply to plunge into worthless matters and seat yourself at their head. The answer is ironic mockery, not practical advice.
Its real target is the person who eagerly takes charge of trifles, the worthless matter standing for any petty affair. Making a show of importance over something petty, the saying implies, reveals an unabashed face, so such eagerness is read as evidence of shamelessness rather than of competence or concern.
- When it is used
Say it wryly about someone who rushes to the front of petty disputes or trivial business, making themselves prominent where nothing of value is at stake. It ridicules the behavior as a sign of brazenness, so it suits teasing or criticism rather than polite conversation.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: "Dad, how do I learn to be shameless?" "Easy: jump into some petty business and put yourself in charge of it."