proverb · Words worth keeping
Where misfortune befals injuries follow.
Where misfortune befals injuries follow.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Injury following misfortune pictures a person facing further difficulties when already vulnerable. The saying invites attention to additional burdens rather than predicting them.
Example
A club offers a clear extension to a volunteer handling a disruption instead of adding penalties for every missed message.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The initial setback is followed by harm, giving adversity a compounding form. Someone dealing with one problem may have less time or support to resist another. A useful reading looks for ways to prevent avoidable secondary burdens and offer appropriate help. It does not establish a law that bad events must multiply, and it should not portray someone’s misfortune as their fault or as a reason to withdraw assistance.
When to use it
Use it when an existing setback may leave someone exposed to further avoidable difficulty.
Keep in mind
Further harm is not inevitable; do not blame or stigmatise a person already facing adversity.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown