Familiarity breeds contempt
Meaning: Being too close to something can reduce appreciation for it.
Origin: Aesop's fable of the fox and the lion shows it: the fox, terrified at first sight of a lion, soon grows bold enough to chat with him. Publilius Syrus wrote that too much familiarity breeds contempt, and Chaucer's The Tale of Melibee has it in English.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, and Japanese
- French: La familiarité engendre le mépris (literally: Familiarity breeds contempt)
- Spanish: La confianza da asco (literally: Familiarity breeds disgust)
- Japanese: 親しき仲にも礼儀あり (Shitashiki naka ni mo reigi ari) (literally: Even in close relationships, there is etiquette)
More proverbs about Human Nature
- Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are — The company you keep reflects and shapes your own character.
- One kind word can warm three winter months — A single act of kindness has an impact far greater and longer-lasting than the moment it…
- Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches — Only the person experiencing a difficulty truly understands its depth.
- Even the sun has its spots — Nothing and nobody is perfect; even the greatest things have their flaws.
- The forest would be silent if no bird sang except the one that sang best — Everyone has a unique contribution; holding back out of self-doubt robs the world.
- As the twig is bent, so grows the tree — Early experiences and upbringing shape a person's lifelong character and habits.
From our compliments & insults
- Courir sur le haricot — To get badly on someone's nerves.
- Tienes menos luces que un barco pirata — You're really not the brightest.
- Eres más lento que el caballo del malo — You're painfully slow — the villain's horse never catches the hero.