- English translation
Do not attack others when your own weaknesses leave you especially open to retaliation.
- Literal wording
A person whose house is made of glass should not throw stones at others.
- Meaning and lesson
The proverb warns that someone in a vulnerable position should not initiate an attack, because retaliation may strike the very point at which that person is least able to withstand harm. Its image of a glass house is figurative, representing exposure rather than merely a personal flaw.
It counsels restraint rather than bravado: before criticizing, provoking, or harming others, consider whether they can answer in a way that will cause greater damage to you.
- When it is used
Use it to caution someone against provoking, accusing, or harming another person when that person can readily retaliate and expose the speaker's own vulnerability.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Do not attack others when your own weaknesses leave you especially open to retaliation.