- English translation
When wits were handed out, everyone was happy with his share; when fortunes were handed out, nobody was happy with his.
- Literal wording
When minds were distributed, each one was pleased with his own mind; and when livelihoods were distributed, no one was pleased with his own livelihood.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying points to a lopsided habit of human judgment: almost everyone is pleased with their own share of intelligence or good sense, yet almost everyone feels shortchanged in their livelihood, income, or allotted lot in life. Contentment comes easily for the mind and rarely for one's fortune.
In practice it mocks the pairing of intellectual self-assurance with chronic grumbling about one's lot. It can deflate someone who trusts their own reasoning completely while envying others' fortunes, and it hints that a little humility about one's wits might be more fitting than complaint.
- When it is used
Use it as a wry remark when someone defends their own opinion stubbornly while complaining about their circumstances, or to comment generally on human self-satisfaction and discontent. It mocks gently and works best as an observation, not a direct insult.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: When wits were handed out, everyone was happy with his share; when fortunes were handed out, nobody was happy with his.