For those who have ever wondered what the quote "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me" means, there are many interpretations. This is another way of saying "once bitten, twice shy." In other words, there are people out there who are not what they seem. Some people will be pretend friendship for all of the wrong reasons, such as for money, or something else that can benefit
. them. In either case, this is not good. Friendship is a selfless thing, which should not have ulterior motives. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Friendship is only one case where this quote has significance. It is also appropriate in love, war and various situations. If someone intentionally fools a person once, they will most likely try to fool them again. This quote deals generally and primarily with deception and human naivete. Deception does not even have to have a human face to it, but the underlying message is that there is no excuse for falling for the same things more than once. While this quote does not discourage trust, it discourages trusting too much when the evidence is against it. Human nature is to learn from experience, another aspect of this quote."Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me" is an example of an English proverb. A proverb is a phrase that states a general truth, based on the historic Proverbs in the Old Testament. Nearly every language and every culture has their own sets of proverbs. Both Confucius and Buddha are major sources for proverbs. A few examples of other English proverbs include "Better safe than sorry," which promotes caution. "Blood is thicker than water" talks about the importance of family, inferring that family loyalty always wins out in the end. More reference links: http://www.coolnsmart.com/wise_quotes/ http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/fool+me+once,+shame+on+you;+fool+me+twice,+shame+on+me.html