He that will not be counselled cannot be helped.

Advice can only do good when the person receiving it is willing to consider it. A refusal to listen may leave others unable to offer effective help.

The proverb also marks a limit to another person’s responsibility: someone may offer guidance, but they cannot make the listener accept it or act on it.

Use this proverb when someone has been offered guidance but repeatedly rejects it, especially when others are frustrated that their efforts have made no difference. Its wording can sound judgmental, so it may be unkind when the person faces obstacles beyond a simple unwillingness to listen.