proverb · Words worth keeping
A fair promise binds a fool.
A fair promise binds a fool.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A pleasing promise binding a fool questions commitment secured by attractive words rather than demonstrated reliability. The saying warns about the appeal of an offer.
What the words are saying
The word fair can carry different senses, and the precise traditional context is unverified. A qualified reading asks what was promised and whether its conditions are credible. It does not make trust foolish by itself or blame someone deceived through an unfair offer.
Everyday example
Someone checks an appealing offer’s conditions before accepting an obligation.
When to use it
Use it only as a qualified attractive-promise warning.
What it does not mean
No foolishness inherent in trust or exact original sense of fair 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
France
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 775; PDF page 70; collection label: France
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- France