proverb · Words worth keeping
Sweep before your own door.
Sweep before your own door.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Attend to the faults or responsibilities within your own reach before criticising everyone else. Self-examination can make criticism more responsible.
Example
A committee member who criticises late replies checks their own unanswered messages and clears them while helping the group improve its communication.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The sweeping is done at the speaker’s own doorway, directing attention to a nearby responsibility rather than a distant one. Figuratively, the proverb challenges someone who notices others’ shortcomings while ignoring similar conduct at home or in their own work. It encourages bringing criticism together with an honest account of one’s part. It does not mean that only faultless people may object to harm, nor that public problems must wait until every private defect is corrected. Examine the relevant inconsistency and take the action available to you, while still addressing wrongdoing that needs attention elsewhere.
When to use it
Use it when criticism of others overlooks a related responsibility or fault in the critic’s own conduct.
Keep in mind
Self-examination should not be used to silence justified complaints or require moral perfection before objecting to harm.
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