Pity is akin to love

Proverbial Meaning: If you start feeling sorry for someone you might start to love them.

Literal Origins: The emotion of pity is similar to the feeling of love.

Common Usage: This proverb is reasonably well-known and, even if they never heard it before, most would understand the meaning. It has often been used in regard to women who take pity on men then fall in love with them, especially spoken as a prediction of the future when observing such a woman helping a man.