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The Dutch equivalent of "misery loves company" is "gedeelde smart is halve smart", which roughly translates to "a burden shared is a burden halved". I've never
by tremon 5y ago
The Dutch equivalent of "misery loves company" is "gedeelde smart is halve smart", which roughly translates to "a burden shared is a burden halved". I've never before interpreted that phrase in any other way than an acknowledgement that personal problems are easier to bear if you have someone to confide in. I certainly wouldn't interpret it as a cynical comment on codependency.
But maybe I've always misinterpreted the English phrase. Is there a different English saying that's closer to the Dutch meaning?
- PebblesRox 5y agoMaybe "many hands make light labor?" Though that one seems more specific/literal than the Dutch version. The phrase "misery loves company" makes me think of this Calvin and Hobbes strip, so I guess it has cynical connotations for me: https://mobile.twitter.com/Calvinn_Hobbes/status/1217106785997328384/photo/1 https://mobile.twitter.com/Calvinn_Hobbes/status/12171067859... Though I wouldn't apply this phrase to the situation of victims feeling comforted by the knowledge that they're not the only ones.