- English translation
The winner praises the result as fair; the loser says the outcome was unevenly dealt.
- Literal wording
The one who gained says, “The measured area is correct,” while the one who lost says, “It fell upon some people and not others.”
- Meaning and lesson
People often judge a disputed result according to whether it benefited or harmed them. Approval from the successful party and criticism from the unsuccessful party may therefore reflect self-interest rather than a reliable assessment.
The saying advises listeners not to treat either side's reaction as decisive proof of fairness or fault. Its image of measuring land is concrete, but the point extends to partisan judgments of outcomes more generally; examine the result independently of the praise and complaints it provokes.
- When it is used
Used when opposing parties give predictably biased accounts of a decision, division, measurement, or settlement: those who benefit call it proper, while those who lose out condemn it. It cautions against taking either response alone as proof of what was fair.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: The winner praises the result as fair; the loser says the outcome was unevenly dealt.