Turkish Proverb

Turkish proverb:  Ateş düştüğü yeri yakar.

English translation:  Fire burns where it falls.

What do you think this proverb means?

(a)  It is a proverb about being careful.  It means you should pay careful attention to potentially dangerous situations so that you will be prepared and can avoid them.  

(b)  It is a proverb about pain.  It means that pain is suffered the most by the person or people who experience it.  We cannot really understand the suffering of others if we have not experienced what they are going through.

(c)  It is a proverb about hope and perseverence.  It means that even when something bad happens to us, we need to keep going in hopes that the situation will improve in the future.  

The correct answer is (b).  Pain is suffered most by the one who has experienced it.  This proverb recognizes that we cannot really understand what another person is going through because the 'fire' is 'burning' them, not us.  

This website has much more about Turkish proverbs

Thanks to my student Hatice for sharing this proverb.