It is every MAN's case

Meaning & Analysis

This statement asserts that a particular situation, problem, or condition is not unique to one person but is a common experience shared by everyone.

Insights

The Universal Condition

The proverb transforms a specific, individual struggle into a symbol of the universal human condition, suggesting that personal trials are echoes of a collective experience.

Shared Vulnerability

It implies a shared vulnerability to the fundamental challenges of life, such as mortality, loss, temptation, or hardship. No one is exempt from these core aspects of existence.

A Call for Empathy

By declaring a situation as common to all, the proverb acts as a powerful appeal for empathy and solidarity, reminding the listener that another's predicament could easily be their own.

Resignation to Fate

The phrase can also be used to express a sense of resignation or fatalism, implying that certain difficulties are an inescapable and unchangeable part of life that must be accepted.

Philosophical Universality

The use of 'MAN' reflects a historical linguistic convention where the masculine term stood for all of humanity. This points to a long philosophical tradition, from classical humanism to existentialism, focused on defining the universal 'human condition'.

Psychological Connection

The proverb serves a crucial psychological function by mitigating feelings of isolation. By framing a personal problem as a universal one, it fosters a sense of shared experience and encourages empathy and mutual understanding rather than judgment.

Legal Metaphor

The term 'case' invokes a legal metaphor, framing a personal situation as a set of circumstances to be examined or judged. It subtly suggests that life presents universal trials or conditions that all individuals must navigate.

Rhetorical Devices

Hyperbolic Generalization

The use of 'every MAN' is a sweeping generalization that functions as a form of hyperbole, emphasizing the absolute universality of the experience for dramatic and persuasive effect.

Synecdoche

The word 'MAN' is used as a synecdoche, where a part (specifically, the male gender in historical context) represents the whole of humanity.

Aphoristic Brevity

The proverb's power lies in its concise and direct phrasing, making it a memorable and easily applicable aphorism for a wide range of situations.

universalityempathyhumanityfatesharedexperiencevulnerability

Analyzed with gemini-2.5-pro on September 2, 2025

Transcription

Quotations

— 1639, CL., p. 56.

Related Proverbs

M127 Every MAN is wise in his own conceit 90.7%M122 Every MAN in his way 90.2%M99 Every MAN a little beyond himself is a fool 89.1%M333 No MAN is happy before his death 88.4%M495 An unhappy MAN's cart is easy to tumble 88.3%M133 Every MAN may not wear a furred hood 88.3%C718 At COURT everyone for himself 88.3%M412 Where every MAN is master the world goes to wrack 88.3%M120 Every MAN has his wife 88.2%M598 Whom great MEN wrong they hate 88.2%M156 A handsome-bodied MAN in the face 88.2%P174 Let every PEDDLER carry his own burden 88.1%W896 The WORLD is full of fools (knaves) 88.1%M1209 He scorns the MOTION 88.1%M541 MEN are but men 88.1%M355 A poor MAN gets a poor marriage 88.1%M447 Every MAN's censure¹ is first molded in his own nature 88.1%M1158 There is MORE in it than you are ware of 88.1%G20 When everyone gets his own you'll get the GALLOWS 88.0%W93 Foul WATER is thrown down the sink 88.0%

These connections are generated using word-embeddings. Learn more.