Chat échaudé craint l'eau froide.
“A scalded cat fears even cold water.”
A painful past experience makes a person overly cautious afterward, even in safe situations.
— Traditional Belgium Wisdom, Belgium
Source: Traditional French-language Belgian proverb, shared Francophone oral tradition, public-domain
More Proverbs from Belgium
When the calf has drowned, one fills in the well.
Taking precautions only after the damage is already done — closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.
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Better one bird in the hand than ten in the air.
A modest certain gain is worth more than a large uncertain one.
Traditional Belgium Wisdom
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The apple does not fall far from the tree.
Children tend to resemble their parents in character and behavior.
Traditional Belgium Wisdom
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Even if a monkey wears a golden ring, it is and remains an ugly thing.
Fine clothes or wealth cannot disguise an unpleasant nature.
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Two dogs on one bone seldom agree.
People rarely share peacefully when competing for the same limited resource.
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To run one's head against the wall.
To stubbornly attempt something impossible or hopeless.
Traditional Belgium Wisdom
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