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About this quote

What does it mean?
When others are in trouble, take precautions to protect yourself too.
In plain terms
If your neighbor is burning, check your own house.
What can you take from it?
Use others' troubles as a warning for yourself.

Where it applies

  • health safety
  • investment
  • community planning

Putting it to work

  • learn from others' mistakes
  • prepare for contingencies

Questions to consider

  • How do you learn from others' failures?
  • When should you help instead of protecting?

Another view

Sometimes helping others is more important than self-protection.

More from Edmund Burke

  1. There ought to be system of manners in every nation which a well-formed mind would be disposed to relish. To make us love our country, our country ought to be …

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  2. Where popular authority is absolute and unrestrained, the people have an infinitely greater, because a far better founded, confidence in their own power. They …

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  3. The wise will determine from the gravity of the case; the irritable from sensibility to oppression; the high-minded from disdain and indignation at abusive pow…

    Permalink to quote #139

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