Whenever our neighbour's house is on fire, it cannot be amiss for the engines to play a little on our own.
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
Putting it to work
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
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