- English translation
Rebuking a contemptible person only makes them less willing to listen.
- Literal wording
If you reproach a base person, his ear grows thicker.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying warns that criticism does not always correct bad conduct. When someone is portrayed as stubborn and unreceptive, reproach may meet resistance rather than reflection, making that person still less willing to listen.
It counsels restraint and judgment in confrontation: if repeated blame is plainly hardening an attitude, stop arguing and choose another response. Its description of the target is strongly disparaging, so it should not be applied directly to a person.
- When it is used
Use this proverb when repeated admonitions appear to provoke greater obstinacy rather than self-correction. It can support ending an unproductive scolding exchange, but its harsh moral and social characterization of the person criticized calls for care and should not be used as a direct label.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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