He that shows his purse longs to be rid of it.
Meaning: Displaying wealth openly invites theft, so the careless advertiser unconsciously desires to lose it.
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
- Don't quarrel with the beggar for his bone. — Arguing with someone who has nothing to lose is pointless and beneath your dignity.
- Raise no more spirits than you can conjure down. — Ambition beyond your control creates chaos you cannot contain or resolve.
- There's reason in roasting of eggs. — Even mundane tasks, properly executed, follow rational principles worth understanding.
- If there were no receivers there would be no thieves. — Demand for stolen goods creates the market incentive that drives theft itself.
- He that reckons without his host must reckon again. — Failing to consult those involved in plans leads to miscalculation and necessary revision.
- Reconcile yourself to present trials, the future may bring worse. — Accepting current hardships preserves mental resilience for potentially greater suffering…
From our compliments & insults
- Bête comme ses pieds — Really not very bright.
- Avoir un poil dans la main — To be incurably lazy.
- Tête de linotte — A scatterbrain who can't hold a thought.