noh AHY pay-OR SYEH-goh keh el keh noh KYEH-reh VEHR
Literally, this means 'there is no worse blind person than one who doesn't want to see'.
It describes someone who chooses to ignore a truth that is right in front of them.
Todos ven que su negocio está fallando, pero él sigue gastando. No hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver.
B2Everyone sees that his business is failing, but he keeps spending. There are none so blind as those who will not see.
Le mostré las pruebas, pero no me creyó. Está claro que no hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver.
B2I showed her the evidence, but she didn't believe me. It's clear that there's no one blinder than the person who doesn't want to see.
This is a very old piece of wisdom, so old that it's hard to find a single starting point. Similar ideas appear in ancient texts across many cultures, including the Bible (specifically, Jeremiah 5:21). It captures a universal human behavior: sometimes it's easier to ignore a difficult truth than to face it. Over centuries, it became a standard proverb in Spanish and many other languages to describe willful ignorance.
Use this full phrase when you're commenting on a situation where someone is clearly ignoring the truth. It’s often said about a third person, but you can also say it directly to someone to be more direct, though be careful as it can sound a bit preachy or judgmental.
Mistake: “Confusing this proverb with a literal statement about visually impaired people.”
Correction: This phrase is entirely metaphorical. It's about 'mental' or 'emotional' blindness, not a physical condition. Using it in a conversation about actual blindness would be inappropriate and confusing.
Extremely common and universally understood as a piece of folk wisdom.
Universally known and used across all of Latin America. It's a standard, classic Spanish proverb.
Question 1 of 1
What kind of person does 'No hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver' describe?
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It can be. Saying it directly to someone is like accusing them of being in denial, which is confrontational. It's often used to comment on a situation to a third person. Tone is very important; it can be said with sympathy or with frustration.
