He that hath nothing is not contented.
Meaning: Deprivation breeds perpetual discontent; those lacking resources cannot achieve satisfaction regardless of circumstances.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- The greatest wealth is contentment with a little. — Modest sufficiency brings more peace than endless pursuit of accumulation.
- Corn is cleansed with the wind, and the soul with chastening. — Removing chaff from grain requires force; similarly, moral purification demands disciplin…
- In wiving and thriving men should take counsel of all the world. — Marriage and business success require diverse perspectives, not solitary decision-making.
- Every couple is not a pair. — Not all romantic partnerships function as unified wholes; some lack the harmony needed fo…
- Far from court, far from care. — Distance from power's intrigues shields one from their anxieties and dangers.
- Less of your courtesy, and more of your purse. — Generosity of wallet matters far more than polite words when someone needs material help.
From our tongue twisters
- Se la serpe si avvicina alla siepe del serpente, il serpente scappa dalla siepe. — A sibilant 's/se/si/sci' minefield; both words (serpe and serpente) slither through the s…
- Chi è Ciccio Capece? Ciccio Capece è un capocaccia che caccia con la cacciaballa. — A 'c/ci/ccia' onslaught — Italian's hard and soft c in the same sentence, non-stop.
- O rato roeu a roupa do rei de Roma; a rainha com raiva roeu o resto. — An unstoppable 'r' trill drill — every key word begins or ends with the Portuguese r.