Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
When your house is on fire, the wall next to the neighbor also burns.
In plain terms
Problems spread to those nearby.
What can you take from it?
Your actions affect others.

Where it applies

  • family disputes
  • neighborhood conflicts
  • team projects

Putting it to work

  • communicate clearly
  • consider neighbors before acting

Questions to consider

  • How do my choices affect those around me?
  • When have I seen a small issue become larger in a community?

Another view

It may overstate how directly one person’s actions cause another’s trouble.

More from Horace

  1. Semel emissum volat irrevocabile verbium.

    Permalink to quote #30

  2. Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit...

    Permalink to quote #32

  3. Sedit qui timuit ne non succederet.

    Permalink to quote #29

Related quotes

  1. Often an entire city has suffered because of an evil man.

    HesiodHesiod quote #6

  2. [Minding one's own business] is a cheap and second rate virtue, much extolled in certain circles, over estimated by the world at large; in constant use as an e…

    Nellie McClungNellie McClung quote #4

  3. The physician can bury his mistakes, but the architect can only advise his clients to plant vines.

    Frank Lloyd WrightFrank Lloyd Wright quote #6