proverb · Words worth keeping
An ass let him be who brays at an ass.
An ass let him be who brays at an ass.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Answering foolish noise with the same noise can make the responder part of it. The braying image questions imitation as a useful way to address an unproductive exchange.
What the words are saying
The person shouting at an ass is told to be an ass too. The comparison centres on matching a kind of behaviour rather than resolving the problem it creates. In another setting, replying to a taunt with a taunt can continue the exchange on its original terms. A pause, a clear response or disengagement may serve the actual purpose better. This does not require silence about harm, and calling someone foolish does not establish that their concern is invalid.
Everyday example
A moderator answers an insulting remark by restating the discussion rule rather than adding a personal insult of their own.
When to use it
Use it to question whether a reply merely repeats the behaviour it objects to.
What it does not mean
Disengagement is not always enough; respond appropriately to harm without reducing people to insulting labels.
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 (Spanish-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 203; Spanish section, paragraph 4213; source wording: Asno sea quien á asno vocea.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.