«اِلْمَقْرُوصْ مِنِ التِّعْبَانْ يِخَافْ مِنِ الْحَبْلْ»

A person who has suffered real harm becomes alert to anything that even resembles its cause. A coiled rope looks enough like a snake to trigger alarm in someone who was bitten before. Painful experience leaves behind a lasting, sometimes outsized, vigilance.

The saying can be read two ways. It can acknowledge that hard lessons teach prudence. It can also note, with some irony, that such caution may spill over onto harmless things. Either way, it explains why someone hesitates or overreacts after being hurt.

Use this to explain or gently excuse someone's excessive wariness after a bad experience, such as reluctance to trust, lend, or try again. It can sound sympathetic or mildly teasing, depending on whether the caution seems reasonable or exaggerated.