Meaning
People know exactly whom they can take advantage of, and they target the weak, the soft, or the tolerant. A cow leans and pushes only on the fence it senses is weak enough to give way. A sharp observation that those who impose, borrow, or bully carefully pick the person least able or willing to resist.
Examples
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Dem always come to yuh fi money cause yuh soft — cow know which fence fi lean pon.
They always come to you for money because you're soft — people pick the weak to exploit.
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Him nuh trouble di tough one, only di kind one; cow know which fence fi lean pon.
He doesn't trouble the tough one, only the kind one; people exploit the yielding.
Origin
A traditional proverb; the cow leans on the fence it knows is weak. See [[monkey-know-which-tree]], [[tek-set-pon]].
How it’s used
People exploit the weak/tolerant, targeting who won't resist. See [[monkey-know-which-tree]], [[tek-set-pon]].