---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As they say, when a man begins to have…"
description: "\"As they say, when a man begins to have bad luck, even clabber can break his head.\" — Jacques Roumain"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/jacques-roumain-30832_bad-luck_as-they-say-when-a-man-begins-to-have-ba_669567.jpg"
---

#  As they say, when a man begins to have bad luck, even…

![“As they say, when a man begins to have bad luck, even clabber can break his head.” quote by Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/jacques-roumain-30832_bad-luck_as-they-say-when-a-man-begins-to-have-ba_669567.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/jacques-roumain-30832_bad-luck_as-they-say-when-a-man-begins-to-have-ba_669567.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/jacques-roumain-30832_bad-luck_as-they-say-when-a-man-begins-to-have-ba_669567.jpg)

> “As they say, when a man begins to have bad luck, even clabber can break his head.”

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Bad luck can turn even simple things into dangerous threats.

**In simple terms:** Misfortune makes ordinary things hazardous.

Key Takeaway

Stay resilient despite setbacks.

Themes

luck misfortune resilience

Mood

determined hopeful

Type

proverbial motivational

When to use this quote

- daily challenges
- risk assessment
- superstition

Key Concepts

folklore probability

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you respond when luck turns sour?
- Can you prevent small problems from escalating?

A Different Perspective

Bad luck is often a mindset, not a reality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bad luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-luck/) [Begins Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begins-bad-5318389/) [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Break Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-head-1395450/) [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Clabber Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clabber-break-5318388/) [Hard times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-times/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Luck Clabber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck-clabber-5318387/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/)

## Related quotes

> [Dont try to break our frndship..if u will try I will break u r head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/praneet/dont-try-to-break-our-frndship-if-u-will-try-i-will-break-u-r-head/)

[Praneet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/praneet/)

> [Write to me and don't be so lazy. Otherwise I shall have to give you a thrashing. What fun! I'll break your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/write-to-me-and-don-t-be-so-lazy-otherwise-i-shall-have-to-give-you-a/)

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/)

> [With me, I come in the ring and start thinking right away. My thought process is just to put a guy down. I'm like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-jones-jr/with-me-i-come-in-the-ring-and-start-thinking-right-away-my-thought/)

[Roy Jones Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-jones-jr/)

> [If you break my heart I will break your head^^ >.< :P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston/if-you-break-my-heart-i-will-break-your-head-p/)

[Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston/)

> [I don't break my head while working on a film or a show. The director is capable enough to bring out the best in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohan-joshi/i-don-t-break-my-head-while-working-on-a-film-or-a-show-the-director/)

[Mohan Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohan-joshi/)

> [“I was just beginning to wonder how long I would have to wait when finally a guard sauntered up and said, “Galloway, get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-galloway/i-was-just-beginning-to-wonder-how-long-i-would-have-to-wait-when/)

[Noah Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-galloway/)

> [All of us have bad luck and good luck. The man who persists through the bad luck - who keeps right on going -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-collier/all-of-us-have-bad-luck-and-good-luck-the-man-who-persists-through/)

[Robert Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-collier/)

> [The biggest trap, the biggest dungeon in life isn't laziness or bad luck, it's comfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-biggest-trap-the-biggest-dungeon-in-life-isn-t-laziness-or-bad/)

[Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/)

> [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/)

[Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/)

> [“Because the core of my personal philosophy is that everything that happens to us benefits us, I was also spared the futility of cursing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-the-core-of-my-personal-philosophy-is-that-everything-that/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Everyone knows it is bad luck to step on a toad or on the shadow of a tree, to walk under a ladder,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-knows-it-is-bad-luck-to-step-on-a-toad-or-on-the-shadow-of-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I didn't do any of what they told me,' she said, 'because the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-didn-t-do-any-of-what-they-told-me-she-said-because-the-more-i/)

[Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> [I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest who complained of bad luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/i-never-knew-an-early-rising-hard-working-prudent-man-careful-of-his/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [Bad luck isn't brought by broken mirrors, but by broken minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/bad-luck-isn-t-brought-by-broken-mirrors-but-by-broken-minds/)

[Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/)

> [“You never talk to the pitcher when…” He shook his head. “You just never talk to the pitcher when--” “I just wanted to congratulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawthorne/you-never-talk-to-the-pitcher-when-he-shook-his-head-you-just-never/)

[Rachel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawthorne/)

## More by Jacques Roumain

> [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [She sang a song that sounds like life; I mean it was sad. Délira knew no other types ofsongs. She didn't sing loud, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/she-sang-a-song-that-sounds-like-life-i-mean-it-was-sad-d-lira-knew/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [Misfortune is never invited. And it comes and sits at the table without permission and it eats, leaving nothing but bones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/misfortune-is-never-invited-and-it-comes-and-sits-at-the-table/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [And at dawn, the drums still beat on the sleepless plain like an unstoppable heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/and-at-dawn-the-drums-still-beat-on-the-sleepless-plain-like-an/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [The sacrifice to Legba was completed; the Master of the Crossroads had taken the loas' mysterious routes back to his native Guinea. Meanwhile, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-sacrifice-to-legba-was-completed-the-master-of-the-crossroads-had/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [Experience is the cane of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/experience-is-the-cane-of-the-blind/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [You cannot eat a cluster of grapes at once, but it is very easy if you eat them one by one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/you-cannot-eat-a-cluster-of-grapes-at-once-but-it-is-very-easy-if-you/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [A tree is made to live in peace in the color of day and in friendship with the sun, the wind and the rain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/a-tree-is-made-to-live-in-peace-in-the-color-of-day-and-in-friendship/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [Peasants are a rude lot, and hard: life has hardened their hearts, but they are thick and awkward only in appearance; you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/peasants-are-a-rude-lot-and-hard-life-has-hardened-their-hearts-but/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [Back then we were better-behaved than you young boystoday; we were better instructed; so I start in my bestest French:Mademoiselle, from the first time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/back-then-we-were-better-behaved-than-you-young-boystoday-we-were/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [Water. Its sunny track in the plain; its splashing in the garden canal, the sound it makes when in its course it meets the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/water-its-sunny-track-in-the-plain-its-splashing-in-the-garden-canal/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [At noon, you walk across a river. It is dry, with not this much water: it is just stones and pebbles. But it rains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/at-noon-you-walk-across-a-river-it-is-dry-with-not-this-much-water-it/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [Heaven has its business and earth has its business: those are two separate things. Heaven, that's the angels' pasture; they are happy; they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/heaven-has-its-business-and-earth-has-its-business-those-are-two/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

[Explore all 14 Jacques Roumain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

## More Bad luck quotes

> [“You never talk to the pitcher when…” He shook his head. “You just never talk to the pitcher when--” “I just wanted to congratulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawthorne/you-never-talk-to-the-pitcher-when-he-shook-his-head-you-just-never/)

[Rachel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawthorne/)

> [Bad luck isn't brought by broken mirrors, but by broken minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/bad-luck-isn-t-brought-by-broken-mirrors-but-by-broken-minds/)

[Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/)

> [I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest who complained of bad luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/i-never-knew-an-early-rising-hard-working-prudent-man-careful-of-his/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [“I didn't do any of what they told me,' she said, 'because the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-didn-t-do-any-of-what-they-told-me-she-said-because-the-more-i/)

[Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> [“Everyone knows it is bad luck to step on a toad or on the shadow of a tree, to walk under a ladder,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-knows-it-is-bad-luck-to-step-on-a-toad-or-on-the-shadow-of-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Because the core of my personal philosophy is that everything that happens to us benefits us, I was also spared the futility of cursing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-the-core-of-my-personal-philosophy-is-that-everything-that/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/)

[Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/)

> [The biggest trap, the biggest dungeon in life isn't laziness or bad luck, it's comfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-biggest-trap-the-biggest-dungeon-in-life-isn-t-laziness-or-bad/)

[Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/)

> [All of us have bad luck and good luck. The man who persists through the bad luck - who keeps right on going -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-collier/all-of-us-have-bad-luck-and-good-luck-the-man-who-persists-through/)

[Robert Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-collier/)

> [“I was just beginning to wonder how long I would have to wait when finally a guard sauntered up and said, “Galloway, get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-galloway/i-was-just-beginning-to-wonder-how-long-i-would-have-to-wait-when/)

[Noah Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-galloway/)

> [“Oh, I don’t buy lottery tickets... because if I won, and I was capable of that kind of odd luck, then I would also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissi-sepe/oh-i-don-t-buy-lottery-tickets-because-if-i-won-and-i-was-capable-of/)

[Chrissi Sepe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissi-sepe/)

> [“Before Tessa could answer, there was a knock at the door, and a familiar voice. "It's Jem. Tessa, are you there?" Charlotte sat bolt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/before-tessa-could-answer-there-was-a-knock-at-the-door-and-a/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“If you were crossing the road and saw a black cat passing, you may possibly get hit by a car, or a mail boy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basma-salem/if-you-were-crossing-the-road-and-saw-a-black-cat-passing-you-may/)

[Basma Salem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basma-salem/)

> [I'm very superstitious, and I think it's bad luck. You don't have to show your love by tattooing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priya-sachdev/i-m-very-superstitious-and-i-think-it-s-bad-luck-you-don-t-have-to/)

[Priya Sachdev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priya-sachdev/)

> [To my bad luck, my first schedule for 'Natasaarvabhowma' was in Kolkata and I was not really introduced to the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupama-parameswaran/to-my-bad-luck-my-first-schedule-for-natasaarvabhowma-was-in-kolkata/)

[Anupama Parameswaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupama-parameswaran/)

[Browse all 529 Bad luck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-luck/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "As they say, when a man begins to have bad luck, even clabber can break his head.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jacques Roumain"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/as-they-say-when-a-man-begins-to-have-bad-luck-even-clabber-can-break/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bad luck"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/as-they-say-when-a-man-begins-to-have-bad-luck-even-clabber-can-break/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/jacques-roumain-30832_bad-luck_as-they-say-when-a-man-begins-to-have-ba_669567.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/jacques-roumain-30832_bad-luck_as-they-say-when-a-man-begins-to-have-ba_669567.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/jacques-roumain-30832_bad-luck_as-they-say-when-a-man-begins-to-have-ba_669567.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As they say, when a man begins to have bad luck, even clabber can break his head.” — Jacques Roumain",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jacques Roumain",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "As they say, when a man...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/as-they-say-when-a-man-begins-to-have-bad-luck-even-clabber-can-break/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/as-they-say-when-a-man-begins-to-have-bad-luck-even-clabber-can-break/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```