He that's down, down with him.

Meaning: Mercy vanishes when someone loses power; people instinctively abandon the fallen to suffer further.

Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.

More proverbs about Wisdom

• Pour not water on a drowned mouse. — Pointless effort wastes resources when the situation is already beyond remedy.
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