Meaning & Analysis
A foolish fish is caught twice using the same bait; a wise fish, having been caught once, learns to avoid the hook.
Insights
Learning from Experience
The proverb teaches that wise individuals avoid repeating mistakes, while only the foolish fall for the same trick or deception twice.
Caution After Harm
Emphasizes that once someone has suffered or been deceived, they should naturally be more wary and cautious in similar future situations.
Personal Growth
Points to the value of self-improvement and adaptability, urging people to heed past lessons rather than remain naïve.
Universal Wisdom
The sentiment is nearly universal, echoed in many cultures and proverbs, such as 'once bitten, twice shy,' revealing the deep-rooted human value placed on prudence and learning.
Psychological Truth
The proverb captures a basic psychological process: pain, failure, or betrayal often foster increased vigilance, shaping future choices and resilience.
Social and Moral Lesson
It serves as both warning and encouragement—warning against gullibility and encouraging reflection and growth, qualities valued across societies.
Rhetorical Devices
Metaphor
Casting the fish and bait as metaphors for people and their vulnerabilities, the proverb makes its lesson concrete and relatable.
Antithesis
Contrasts the foolish (caught again) with the wise (learns caution), heightening the proverb's impact.
Ellipsis
By not specifying the 'bait,' the saying invites wide application, fitting many scenarios of repeated error or deception.
Transcription
Quotations
The Fish once taken, and scaped from baight, Will euer heareafter, beware of the hooke.
The fish that once was caught, new bayt wil hardly byte.
The fishe that has beene stricken with the hook, feares the baite.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.