They complain wrongfully of the sea, who twice suffer shipwreck.

The proverb challenges someone who blames an external danger after encountering it a second time. It suggests that the first setback may have offered a reason to take greater care.

Its point is not that every accident can be prevented. Rather, repeated trouble can call for an honest look at one's own judgment instead of placing all responsibility elsewhere.

Use it when someone complains about a repeated setback despite having had an opportunity to learn from the first. It is less apt when the person had no reasonable way to anticipate or reduce the risk.