proverb · Words worth keeping
Don’t cry before you are hurt.
Don’t cry before you are hurt.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Crying before being hurt pictures distress in anticipation of a possible misfortune. The saying advises against assuming that a feared event has already happened.
What the words are saying
The sequence contrasts an expected injury with an actual one. A critical reading does not deny distress, disregard an existing hurt or tell someone they have no right to fear. It can ask what is known and what help or preparation is useful, while acknowledging that anticipated problems may be real.
Everyday example
A friend helps someone distinguish a feared outcome from what is known without dismissing their feelings.
When to use it
Use it carefully to examine anticipation with distress and support taken seriously.
What it does not mean
Fear can be understandable; the saying does not prove hurt absent or justify withholding compassion.
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
- Not established
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 proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 827; PDF page 117
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.