- English translation
The thing you do not want today may be the thing you need later.
- Literal wording
What you reject, you may come to need.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying warns against dismissing something merely because it seems unappealing or unnecessary at the moment. Circumstances can change, turning a rejected person, object, skill, or option into a useful necessity.
It encourages restraint in contempt and a practical awareness of uncertainty. Rather than treating unwanted things as worthless, one should remember that future need may alter their value and make them important.
- When it is used
Used when someone scorns, discards, or refuses something that could later prove useful. It can serve as advice before a hasty rejection or as a reminder after changing circumstances expose the value of what was dismissed.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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