ProverbHuman NatureGerman origin

Was ich nicht weiß, macht mich nicht heiß

Meaning: What you don't know can't upset you.

Literally: What I don't know doesn't make me hot

Example: “Erzähl mir nicht, was es gekostet hat. Was ich nicht weiß, macht mich nicht heiß.” — Don't tell me what it cost: what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over.

Equivalents in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, and Polish

  • English: What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over
  • Spanish: Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente (literally: Eyes that don't see, heart that doesn't feel)
  • Italian: Occhio non vede, cuore non duole (literally: The eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't ache)
  • Portuguese: O que os olhos não veem, o coração não sente (literally: What the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't feel)
  • Dutch: Wat niet weet, wat niet deert (literally: What doesn't know doesn't hurt)
  • Polish: Czego oczy nie widzą, tego sercu nie żal (literally: What the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't regret)

Origin: Heiß machen here is to get worked up: the rhyme of weiß and heiß gives it its lightness.

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