It's ill healing an old sore.

Meaning: Reopening past wounds—whether emotional or relational—creates fresh damage harder to resolve than the original injury.

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

More proverbs about Challenge

Pain is forgotten where gain follows. — Suffering endured becomes insignificant once its hardship yields profitable or valuable r…
Great pain and little gain make a man soon weary. — Disproportionate effort against meager returns exhausts resolve faster than any physical…
Pains are the wages of ill-pleasures. — Suffering naturally follows from indulgences that ignore consequences or moral bounds.
On painting and fighting look aloof off. — Maintaining distance reveals flaws invisible up close; premature judgment spoils both art…
Sleep on it; the pillow is the best counsellor. — Delaying decisions allows subconscious processing to clarify confusion that waking worry…
He can ill pipe that wants his upper lip. — Missing essential tools makes mastery impossible, no matter one's skill or determination.

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