ProverbCommunicationInternational origin

A problem shared is a problem halved

Meaning: Talking about difficulties with others makes them easier to bear and to solve.

Origin: A saying about the relief of confiding in someone. Its origin has not been firmly traced, and sources disagree on how old it is.

Equivalents in German and Italian

  • German: Geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid (literally: Shared sorrow is half the sorrow)
  • Italian: Mal comune, mezzo gaudio (literally: A shared ill is half a joy)

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