Everybody's business is nobody's business.
Meaning: When responsibility is shared by all, it often falls to none, leaving tasks undone.
Origin: Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler (1653) quotes "a wise friend" who used to say that what is everybody's business is nobody's business. A job that belongs to everyone is one that no one feels obliged to do.
More proverbs about Morality
- Fair feathers make fair fowls. — Outward appearance and grooming significantly influence how others perceive and judge a p…
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- Muffled cats are bad mousers. — Silence and caution disable the very instincts needed for effective action.
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From our untranslatable words
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