- English translation
The person with a guilty secret is often the first to reveal it.
- Literal wording
Whoever has a wound on his head keeps feeling for it.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying observes that people who feel implicated by a topic may react in ways that expose their own concern. Their defensiveness, discomfort, or eagerness to respond can point toward what they hoped to conceal, though such a reaction does not establish wrongdoing.
It is used to suggest apparent self-incrimination through behavior rather than a direct accusation or proof. The proverb cautions that a person’s response to a general remark may reveal a private vulnerability or guilty conscience, but its pointed imagery can make the implication especially sharp.
- When it is used
Say this when someone reacts conspicuously to a broad comment and seems to identify themselves with the criticism. It can be a pointed, accusatory remark, especially when aimed at a specific person, so use it carefully where public embarrassment or unfair suspicion is a concern.
- Register
- colloquial proverb
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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