proverb · Words worth keeping
Love thy neighbour, but pull not down thy hedge.
Love thy neighbour, but pull not down thy hedge.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Care for your neighbour while keeping sensible boundaries. Goodwill and cooperation do not require giving up every distinction between your own space, needs and responsibilities and theirs.
Example
Neighbours agree to water each other’s plants during holidays but continue asking permission before entering one another’s garden at other times.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The hedge marks a boundary between neighbouring properties. Keeping it while loving a neighbour suggests that affection and limits can coexist. Removing every boundary may create uncertainty about access, privacy or responsibility, making a previously friendly arrangement difficult. The proverb can also apply to non-physical limits, such as availability or lending. Its emphasis differs from simply avoiding people: the first instruction is to treat the neighbour with care. A useful arrangement allows help and contact while making expectations clear enough that neither person must guess what the other has agreed to.
When to use it
Use it to combine neighbourly help with a clear and respectful agreement about access or responsibilities.
Keep in mind
A boundary should not become an excuse for contempt, discrimination or withholding reasonable help in an emergency.
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
- Culture
- English