Franklin makes a humorous observation about the social effects of lending money. A troublesome visitor who becomes a debtor may begin avoiding the lender because each meeting is a reminder of the unpaid obligation. The loan therefore creates a reason for the visitor to stay away, achieving indirectly what the host might otherwise find difficult to accomplish.

The saying is less about recommending lending as a practical method of removing unwanted guests than about the discomfort that debt can introduce into relationships. Financial obligations may change how people behave towards one another, particularly when repayment is delayed or uncertain. Franklin’s broader point is that borrowing and lending are not purely economic transactions: they can also affect trust, ease and willingness to maintain contact. Money owed between individuals can therefore reshape a social relationship as well as a financial one.