The ignorant think all things wrong which they cannot understand.
Meaning: Fear of the unfamiliar breeds contempt; incomprehension masquerades as moral judgment in the uninformed mind.
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 Morality
- He goes not out of his way that goes to a good inn. — Detours toward virtue are worthwhile journeys, not wasteful deviations from your path.
- He hath a good judgment who is apt to distrust his own. — Self-doubt in judgment reveals wisdom; overconfidence in one's own reasoning breeds folly…
- Just is honest, and honest is just. — Integrity and fairness are inseparable—acting justly requires honesty, and honesty demand…
- Knavery may serve for a turn, but honesty is best in the long run. — Dishonest shortcuts yield temporary gains but ultimately destroy trust and prosperity.
- When knaves fall out, true men come by their goods. — Dishonest people's conflicts create opportunities for honest people to acquire what was w…
- Fair and softly as lawyers go to heaven. — Lawyers proceed toward virtue so rarely and reluctantly that the journey becomes impossib…
From our idioms
- en koloss på lerfötter — Something that appears powerful and impressive but rests on a fundamentally weak foundati…
- köra med — To tease, bully, or push someone around.
- sätta till alla klutar — To make a maximum effort or remove all restraints in pursuit of something.