proverb · Words worth keeping
He who pardons the bad harms the good.
He who pardons the bad harms the good.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Pardoning the bad described as harming the good warns that leniency can have consequences for others. The saying questions mercy without attention to protection.
What the words are saying
A critical reading does not establish guilt, a legal penalty or a universal case against forgiveness. A useful application considers fairness, prevention of further harm and the people affected. Mercy need not erase accountability, while labels of good and bad cannot replace evidence about conduct.
Everyday example
A group considers whether a response to misconduct protects affected people while remaining fair.
When to use it
Use it critically to discuss mercy alongside accountability.
What it does not mean
No legal finding or necessary harm from every act of forgiveness 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
- 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 wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 927; PDF page 81; collection label: Transylvania Province of Romania
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Transylvania Province of Romania