proverb · Words worth keeping
Walls sink and dunghills rise.
Walls sink and dunghills rise.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Positions of apparent strength can decline while disregarded things rise. The wall and dunghill contrast challenges confidence in a fixed hierarchy, without making lower status a sign of lesser human worth.
Example
A group reassesses an established method when a previously overlooked approach begins meeting its needs better.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The wall stands for something built up and established, while the dunghill is the less admired object that rises as the wall sinks. The reversal makes present position an uncertain guide to the future. In another setting, an established advantage can diminish while an overlooked option gains importance. Examine what is changing rather than relying only on a familiar ranking. This is a reading of the contrast, not a history of any particular society. The image should not be used to call people waste or to judge their worth by status.
When to use it
Use it to question whether an established ranking still fits changing circumstances.
Keep in mind
Status does not determine human worth; compare actual conditions without contempt for people in a lower position.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their 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
- Date unknown