Mistakes, failure, and pain are an unavoidable part of life. What’s important is that we learn from mistakes and challenging experiences and try not to repeat them too much.

That is the gist of this handy German phrase, which translates directly to “From damage, one becomes smart.” 

Or, more elegantly put, “From damage comes wisdom.”

“Schaden” means damage, hurt, or harm. Though immediate harm and hurt may feel painful initially, these tough experiences can often teach us a valuable lesson. 

This phrase comes from the Latin “Quae nocent docent.” It was initially translated into German as “Was schadet, lehrt” (“What hurts, teaches) by German Protestant reformer Martin Luther. 

Martin Luther, who first translated the Christian Bible from Latin to vernacular German, translated many interesting phrases he found that had only been articulated in Latin. 

He is credited for coining this phrase, as he famously loved proverbs and sayings. Luther is said to have combined valuable adages from the Bible, Aesop’s stories, and everyday people into succinct aphorisms that impart wisdom. 

19th-century poet and translator Friedrich Rückert poked fun at Luther’s supposed wisdom when he wrote: 

Durch Schaden wird man klug / Damage makes you wise!

Sagen alle klugen Leute /say all the smart people

Schaden litt ich genug /I’ve suffered enough damage

Doch bin ich ein Tor noch heute /yet I’m still a fool today