When we think to catch we are sometimes caught.
When we think to catch we are sometimes caught.
Meaning in plain English
A person trying to catch another can become caught instead. The reversal cautions against assuming complete control of a scheme and invites attention to how an intended advantage might turn back on its maker.
Example
A member abandons a plan to embarrass a rival after noticing that it would also damage the trust needed for their shared project.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The would-be catcher finds the roles reversed. As a metaphor, an attempt to outmanoeuvre someone may expose the planner to consequences not included in the original expectation. Consider what the other person can do and what the plan itself puts at risk. The saying supplies no guarantee that deception will always be punished or that every reversal was deserved. Its useful challenge is to unearned certainty: having a scheme does not establish control over everyone involved or protection from the effects of one’s own choices.
When to use it
Use it to examine the risks and assumptions behind an attempt to gain advantage over someone.
Keep in mind
A reversal is not proof of deserved punishment; assess the particular actions and circumstances.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 195; Spanish section, paragraph 4079; source wording: A las veces do cazar pensamos, cazados quedamos.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗