Love thy neighbour, but pull not down thy hedge.
Meaning: Affection for others needn't require sacrificing the boundaries that protect your own property and privacy.
Origin: George Herbert's Outlandish Proverbs (1640) has "Love your neighbour, yet pull not down your hedge." Friendship with neighbors is good, but boundaries should stay in place — the same thought as "good fences make good neighbors," which Robert Frost explored in "Mending Wall."
More proverbs about Human Nature
- It is the part of a wise man to take no notice of many things. — Selective attention to trivial matters preserves mental energy for what genuinely demands…
- A man may cause his own dog to bite him. — Mistreatment of those dependent on you creates the very dangers you fear from them.
- A man in a passion rides a horse that runs away with him. — Uncontrolled anger clouds judgment, making you lose control over your own decisions and a…
- If you play with a fool at home, he'll play with you in the market. — Familiarity with foolish people emboldens them to embarrass you publicly.
- A man must plough with such oxen as he hath. — Work effectively with available resources rather than wasting energy wishing for better t…
- Poor folk are glad of pottage. — Those with little resources find contentment in simple sustenance rather than lamenting t…
From our tongue twisters
- Liesje leerde Lotje lopen langs de lange Lindelaan. — Eight consecutive l-words, with the vowel behind the l changing every time.
- なまむぎ なまごめ なまたまご (Nama mugi, nama gome, nama tamago) — A nimble warm-up for the Japanese 'na / ma / ge' syllables.
- Pablito clavó un clavito, ¿qué clavito clavó Pablito? — A bouncy drill on the 'cl' cluster.