- English translation
You won't value my kindness until you've had to deal with somebody else.
- Literal wording
You do not know my good except when you see other-than-me.
- Meaning and lesson
The speaker insists that the worth of their kindness, generosity and favors is invisible to the person receiving them, and will only become clear by contrast. Once the listener turns elsewhere and meets someone less generous, they will finally grasp how much they had been given.
It is aimed at someone who belittles or ignores the favors they enjoy. The Arabic line pairs khayri, 'my good,' with ghayri, 'someone other than me,' a near-identical rhyme that ties the speaker's kindness to the unflattering comparison awaiting the listener.
- When it is used
Spoken by someone whose help or generosity is being shrugged off, usually toward a person who takes their support for granted. It is a pointed reproach, and used lightly it can sound bitter or self-praising.
- Register
- Colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: You won't value my kindness until you've had to deal with somebody else.