He CARES not how he has it so he may but get it

Meaning & Analysis

A person is indifferent to the methods, ethics, or consequences of their actions, as long as they successfully acquire what they desire. The focus is entirely on the outcome, not the process.

Insights

Moral Corruption

The proverb serves as a timeless warning about the corrupting nature of power and desire. The pursuit of an object ('it') becomes so all-consuming that it erodes the individual's moral compass, making them indifferent to whether their actions are right or wrong.

Ruthless Competition

This describes a zero-sum worldview where one person's gain necessitates another's loss. The accompanying quotation, 'He cares not who loseth, so he but winnes,' perfectly encapsulates this ruthless and competitive mindset.

Absence of Empathy

It illustrates a profound lack of empathy, where the individual is unable or unwilling to consider the impact of their actions on others. Their own desires are paramount, and the well-being of others is a negligible externality.

The End Justifies the Means

This proverb articulates the core principle of Machiavellian philosophy, where the morality of an action is judged solely by its outcome. It resonates with literary archetypes of villainy, such as Shakespeare's Richard III, who pursue power regardless of the moral cost.

Critique of Unchecked Ambition

The proverb serves as a powerful critique of unchecked ambition and greed, particularly relevant in contexts of ruthless competition, be it in politics, business, or personal affairs. It warns against celebrating success without scrutinizing the methods used to achieve it.

Psychological Detachment

Psychologically, the proverb depicts a state of moral detachment or 'goal obsession,' where a singular focus on an objective eclipses empathy and ethical considerations. It highlights a mindset where the suffering or loss of others is irrelevant to personal gain.

Rhetorical Devices

Antithesis

The proverb sets up a stark contrast between the process ('how he has it') and the result ('get it'), effectively highlighting the central conflict between means and ends.

Parallel Structure

The phrase's structure is balanced and emphatic ('cares not how... so he may but get'), making the statement feel absolute and memorable. This syntactical balance reinforces the speaker's unwavering and single-minded conviction.

Understatement

The proverb uses stark, simple language to convey a profound moral failing. Its directness and lack of ornamentation make the statement more impactful and universally understood.

ambitiongreedmoralityethicsconsequencesobsession

Analyzed with gemini-2.5-pro on July 20, 2025

Transcription

Quotations

They care not how they come by it, so they may haue it.

— 1616, WITHALS, p. 584

— 1639, CL., Lucrum ex scelere, p. 190

He cares not who loseth, so he but winnes.

— Ibid., p. 191

Related Proverbs

R87 He often kills that thinks but to hurt that which is worth the RESTORING 90.6%C703 He that is his own COUNSELOR knows nothing sure but what he has laid out 89.8%D414 He that DOES what he will does not what he ought 89.6%I27 He that speaks ILL of another let him first think of himself 89.6%H566 He is least worthy of HONOR that seeks it 89.5%G56 He that rides ere he be ready wants some of his GEAR 89.5%H166 Better the HARM I know than that I know not 89.4%C775 If he be a COWARD he is a murderer 89.4%T133 He that makes a THING too fine breaks it 89.3%W567 WIT is never good till it be bought (dearly bought) 89.3%D33 He that seeks DANGER perishes therein 89.3%W446 WIND and weather, do your worst 89.3%P424 He that has PLENTY of goods shall have more, he that has but a little he shall have less, and he that has right nought right nought shall possess 89.2%M996 He that MISCHIEF hatches mischief catches 89.2%H371 Much HEED does no harm 89.2%H509 There is no more HOLD of a new friend than of a new fashion 89.1%G465 He that runs fastest gets most GROUND 89.1%W944 He that wreaks himself at every WRONG shall never sing the rich man's song 89.1%D126 To lament the DEAD avails not and to the living it is hurtful 89.1%A182 He looks as if he had sold ALL and took nothing for it 89.1%

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