Joy surfeited turns to sorrow.

Meaning: Excessive pleasure breeds complacency and inevitable disappointment when abundance inevitably diminishes.

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

More proverbs about Wisdom

• As easy kiss my hand. — Dismissing something as trivially simple often blinds us to hidden difficulty or complexi…
• The ladle cools the pot. — A subordinate's efforts can moderate or restrain a superior's excessive force or passion.
• Laws were made for rogues. — Honest people need no laws; restrictions exist only because dishonest people require exte…
• The empty leech sucks sore. — A desperate, unfulfilled person causes more harm than one already satisfied.
• Liars have short wings. — Deceit collapses quickly because falsehoods cannot sustain flight or escape scrutiny long…
• Too much liberty spoils all. — Unlimited freedom without restraint breeds chaos; boundaries enable flourishing.

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…