This proverb says that a burnt child dreads the fire. If a child goes too near a fire, it will burn itself. The burn will make it suffer pain. It will also teach it to be careful. It will be very cautious in approaching a fire again. In fact, it will avoid fire because it is afraid of it.

From this we learn that experience is the best teacher. We learn best from our own experience. We pay a heavy price for our bad experiences. So we do not forget them in a hurry.

Other people might try their best to give us good advice. But we might turn a deaf ear to their advice. We may not remember it. Our own bad experiences are the only ones that we remember.

This proverb applies not only to fire but to any kind of painful experience. If a child cuts itself with a knife, it will be afraid to hold a knife in its hand again. If it falls from a swing, it will not dare to sit on a swing again. We learn to become wise and to take no risks after we have suffered in some way or the other. It proves that experience is the best teacher.