Meaning & Analysis
Dishonesty and deceit are present in every type of profession or business.
Insights
Universal Human Flaw
The proverb serves as a broader commentary on human nature, suggesting that 'trades' represent all organized human endeavors, which are invariably tainted by self-interest and moral compromise.
A Warning Against Naivety
It functions as a piece of practical, albeit cynical, wisdom, warning that one should always be skeptical and cautious in dealings with others, as the potential for being cheated is ever-present.
Systemic Corruption
The 'knavery' in 'all trades' can be seen not just as individual acts of cheating but as a systemic feature of commerce, where the rules and pressures of the system itself can encourage or necessitate unethical behavior.
Historical Economic Anxiety
This proverb reflects historical anxieties about trade and craftsmanship, where information asymmetry between seller and buyer created opportunities for deceit. The singling out of specific professions, like tailors in the 1692 L'Estrange fable, illustrates a common practice of stereotyping tradesmen who could easily short-change customers on materials.
Psychology of Cynicism
The saying encapsulates a cynical worldview, serving as a psychological defense mechanism. By assuming dishonesty is universal, one is less likely to feel personally victimized by it and is encouraged to be perpetually vigilant in business dealings.
Critique of Commerce
The proverb speaks to the inherent tension in market economies between pursuing profit and maintaining ethical standards. It suggests that the competitive nature of trade itself incentivizes or normalizes a degree of 'knavery' as a tool for survival or advantage.
Moral Justification
The saying can be used ironically as a form of self-absolution, as noted in the 1666 quotation ('...but ours'). This highlights a human tendency to recognize a universal flaw while simultaneously excusing oneself from it, revealing a subtle psychological bias.
Rhetorical Devices
Hyperbole
The use of the absolute term 'all' is a form of hyperbole that makes the statement sweeping and memorable, presenting a cynical opinion as an undeniable, universal truth.
Archaic Diction
The term 'knavery' is an archaic word that lends the proverb a sense of historical weight and timeless wisdom, making it more impactful than modern synonyms like 'cheating' or 'fraud'.
Aphoristic Statement
The proverb's structure is concise and declarative, creating a tone of certainty and authority that makes it easy to quote and remember.
Transcription
Quotations
(Here's).
As the English in Drollery will say, There's cheating in all Trades, but ours.
Jupiter appointed Mercury to make him a Composition of Fraud and Hypocrisie, and to give every Artificer his Dose on't . . Mercury . . gave the Taylors the Whole Quantity that was Left; and from hence comes the Old Saying; There's Knavery in all Trades, But Most in Taylors.
The usual Trade and Com-merce, is cheating all round by Consent.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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