Meaning & Analysis
As a pig (sow) becomes full from eating, its feed (draff, the residue from brewing) becomes unappetizing to it. Once hunger is satisfied, the remaining food loses its appeal.
Insights
Diminishing Returns
This illustrates the principle of diminishing returns. The more one has of something—be it wealth, pleasure, or opportunity—the less value or enjoyment they derive from it. Abundance leads to a loss of appreciation.
Ingratitude from Abundance
When people's needs are met and they become comfortable, they can grow ungrateful or critical of the very things that satisfied them. What was once a blessing is now viewed with disdain or taken for granted.
Wastefulness of Excess
The proverb suggests that over-provisioning leads to waste. Once the need is met, the excess is neglected and left to spoil, symbolizing how surplus can lead to carelessness and decay.
Relativity of Value
Value is subjective and dependent on one's state of need. The proverb highlights how our perception of something's worth changes dramatically from a state of want to a state of satisfaction.
Psychology of Satiety
The proverb serves as a powerful illustration of the psychological principle of the hedonic treadmill, where satisfaction diminishes as abundance increases. Once basic needs are met, individuals often adapt to their improved circumstances, leading to a 'souring' of their perception of what they once desired.
Agrarian Social Commentary
Rooted in an agrarian context, the proverb uses the common imagery of animal husbandry to comment on human nature. It reflects a societal understanding, born from observing the natural world, that excess can breed ingratitude and waste, a timeless critique of affluence.
Philosophical Warning
The proverb resonates with philosophical traditions, like Stoicism, that warn against the dangers of overindulgence and advocate for moderation. It suggests that true contentment is found not in endless accumulation but in appreciating what one has before it 'sours' through excess.
Rhetorical Devices
Parallelism
The proverb's structure, 'As X happens, Y happens', creates a direct and memorable cause-and-effect relationship that reinforces its message.
Alliteration
The repetition of the 's' sound in 'Sow' and 'sours' creates a subtle phonetic link, rhythmically connecting the cause (the full sow) with the effect (the souring draff).
Concrete Imagery
The use of simple, earthy imagery from a farm setting—a sow and its feed—makes the abstract concept of satiety and discontent universally understandable and vivid.
Transcription
Quotations
*When Peoples Stomachs begin to fill, their Meat insensibly loses its Relish.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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