proverb · Words worth keeping
He who digs a pit for others falls into it himself.
He who digs a pit for others falls into it himself.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A pit intended for someone else catching its maker pictures wrongdoing turning back on the person who planned it. It warns against harmful schemes.
Example
A reader questions a malicious plan without assuming that its consequences will reliably punish only its author.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The trap image makes reversal memorable rather than proving that every wrongdoer receives an equivalent consequence. A useful reading discourages harm while keeping prevention and accountability important. It should not imply that a person who suffers must previously have caused harm or that justice happens automatically.
When to use it
Use it to explain the self-defeating wrongdoing image without a method for harm.
Keep in mind
No inevitable retribution is established, and suffering does not prove prior wrongdoing.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown