proverb · Legacy record
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying warns people in glass houses against throwing stones. In the supplied reading, it questions criticism by someone also vulnerable to a similar fault.
What the words are saying
The fragile-house image can prompt consistency, but the supplied perfection condition goes too far. A responsible interpretation does not require a flawless critic before a valid concern can be raised. The evidence for a complaint and the critic’s conduct are distinct questions.
Everyday example
Someone acknowledges their own mistake while still addressing an evidenced concern.
When to use it
Use it to discuss consistency without requiring perfection before speaking.
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What it does not mean
A critic’s imperfection does not prove a complaint false or excuse wrongdoing.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or 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
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 667; PDF page 96
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.