Meaning
Those who live in comfort cannot understand the suffering of those who bear the heat of hardship. A stone lying cool at the bottom of the river has no idea how hot the sun is beating down on those exposed above. A reminder that the sheltered and privileged often can't grasp what the struggling endure.
Examples
-
Him nuh know how wi suffer — rockstone a river bottom nuh know sun hot.
He has no idea how we suffer — the comfortable don't know the hardship of others.
-
Di rich cyaan understand di poor: rockstone a river bottom nuh know sun hot.
The rich can't understand the poor: those in comfort don't feel the heat.
Origin
A traditional proverb; the cool river-bottom stone is oblivious to the sun's heat. See [[rockstone]], [[sun-hot]].
How it’s used
The comfortable can't understand others' suffering. See [[rockstone]], [[sun-hot]].