proverb · Legacy record
A child does not laugh at the ugliness of its mother.
A child does not laugh at the ugliness of its mother.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A child not laughing at a mother’s supposed ugliness places affection beside a judgment of appearance. The saying asks for loyalty and respect despite an external beauty label.
What the words are saying
A critical reading rejects the label as a measure of dignity and does not make children responsible for defending adults at all costs. Respect need not silence concerns about harmful conduct. A useful application questions ridicule without demanding unconditional family deference.
Everyday example
Someone refuses an appearance-based insult while still addressing an actual disagreement.
When to use it
Use it critically against appearance-based ridicule, with boundaries retained.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
No beauty ranking or duty to excuse harmful family conduct is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
Uganda
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 709; PDF page 64; collection label: Uganda
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Uganda