Can someone please explain "Where there is less, less is to be expected"?

Question

I recently heard someone say this. I think the logic behind the quote is vague and inherently wrong.... but that is beside the point.

Will somone please explain this to me, what am I missing, why doesn't this make sense?

Answer 1

It is simply that if less things are in something, it is that one doesn't expect as much out of it. (Ex: suppose you have 1 can. You don't expect 2, for there is only 1. So says our logic , anyway...)

Answer 2

What it basically means is this...when you have less, you expect less. Think of it this way, in a place where poor is the standard, you don't expect a mercedes for your birthday. You expect your family to sing to you, mom to make a meal you like and to be let off doing your chores that day.
The logic behind the quote is sound, and correct. Expectation is what is considered the most likely to happen. If you are familiar with only simple things, if this is what fills your life, and the lives of the people around you, then your expectation is filled with those familiar things.

Answer 3

This is pretty self explanatory. When a person has less or a little of anything in their life, they are poor and live simply they come to face the facts that less is what the furture is expected to be. Depending on what context the phrase is used in , it could also mean when a person puts forth less effort at something, then it stands to reason that not much or less will be expected of that individual.

Answer 4

Not always, it depends on the circumstances. An example: What is there in Antartica? What's expected from it? What is there in a bum sleeping in the gutter? What's expected of him/her? The answer to both is MUCH. All things, places and persons play vital roles. Some to a lesser degree than others but all are equally AS important in the role played/fulfilled.

Answer 5

i always thought the saying was "where you expect less, you will find less" meaning that often people or yourself will live up to the potential you project
as to this saying, i would imagine it would be taken in a more literal way,,,,,, if a person has less money, you would expect them to contribute less
when a person has had less guidance in their life,,,, you would expect them to be at a less developed point then someone well guided
if a person doesnt have the /a natural ability or talent for a certain thing, you would expect them to perform less well,,,, or to have more difficulty learning a task,,,,, then a person with more ability or talent
etc etc

Answer 6

For example: when someone asks to borrow money from you and you know the person has "less" than you... or even has almost nothing... then you can expect to never receive it back.... because you already know that the person has nothing- like no income... it's kind of like the saying: From nothing, comes nothing.

Answer 7

Think about it in terms of food. picture Africa and the skinny little starving children there. do you think that those children expect much food or compassion, they are just happy to be alive and to love their families for another day.

Answer 8

It's like if you have a big strong guy you expect him to be able to lift more than a little skinny guy

Answer 9

Maybe it means something like if someone is really dumb than people won't expect much out of them.

Answer 10

Well by the sounds of it to me it is saying if you are not giving it your all then you should not expect it all to be given to you..