Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches
Meaning: Only the person experiencing a difficulty truly understands its depth.
Origin: Plutarch tells of a Roman who divorced his wife, to the astonishment of his friends, who asked what fault she had. He held out his shoe: it looked handsome and new, but none of them could tell where it pinched him. In Chaucer's The Merchant's Tale, a husband says the same thing in English: "I know best where my shoe wrings me."
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: C'est celui qui porte la chaussure qui sait où elle fait mal (literally: The one who wears the shoe knows where it hurts)
- Spanish: Solo quien calza el zapato sabe dónde aprieta (literally: Only the one who wears the shoe knows where it pinches)
- Japanese: 靴の痛みは履いている者だけが知る (Kutsu no itami wa haite iru mono dake ga shiru) (literally: Only the one wearing the shoe knows where it hurts)
- German: Jeder weiß am besten, wo ihn der Schuh drückt (literally: Everyone knows best where the shoe pinches him)
More proverbs about Human Nature
- Even the sun has its spots — Nothing and nobody is perfect; even the greatest things have their flaws.
- The forest would be silent if no bird sang except the one that sang best — Everyone has a unique contribution; holding back out of self-doubt robs the world.
- As the twig is bent, so grows the tree — Early experiences and upbringing shape a person's lifelong character and habits.
- If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together — Short-term speed comes from solitude; long-term achievement comes from collaboration.
- A bad workman always blames his tools — Incompetent people blame external factors for their failures instead of taking responsibi…
- Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow — Happiness multiplies and burdens lighten when shared with others.
From our tongue twisters
- Sopra la panca la capra campa, sotto la panca la capra crepa. — A beloved 'c' / 'p' rhythm trap.
- Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches, archi-sèches? — A merciless duel between 'ch' and 's'.
- El cielo está enladrillado, ¿quién lo desenladrillará? — A brutal test of the rolled 'r' and 'l'.