When thy neighbour's house is on fire, be careful of thine own.
Meaning: Self-preservation requires vigilance when crisis spreads nearby; danger threatening others poses indirect threat to you.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
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