---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And when one of you falls down he falls…"
description: "\"And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone. Ay, and he falls for those ahead of him, who thoug..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/khalil-gibran-286_behinds_and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls_3100749.jpg"
---

#  And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind…

![“And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone. Ay, and he falls for those ahead of him, who though faster and surer of foot, yet removed not the stumbling stone.” quote by Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/khalil-gibran-286_behinds_and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls_3100749.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/khalil-gibran-286_behinds_and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls_3100749.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/khalil-gibran-286_behinds_and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls_3100749.jpg)

> “And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone. Ay, and he falls for those ahead of him, who though faster and surer of foot, yet removed not the stumbling stone.”

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Leaders must be mindful of how their actions affect both followers and peers, avoiding unintended harm.

**In simple terms:** Leaders’ actions impact others.

Key Takeaway

Lead responsibly.

Themes

leadership responsibility consequence

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- team management
- community projects
- policy making

Key Concepts

ethics socialimpact interdependence

Questions to Reflect On

- How can leaders anticipate downstream effects?
- What safeguards prevent harm?

A Different Perspective

Balancing diverse impacts is challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Caution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caution/) [Caution Stumbling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caution-stumbling-1916407/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Falling down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falling-down/) [Falls Ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falls-ahead-4539724/) [Falls Caution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falls-caution-1916409/) [Faster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faster/) [Feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feet/) [Judgement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgement/) [Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stones/) [Stumbling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stumbling/) [Stumbling Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stumbling-stone-1916408/)

## Related quotes

> [“And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls-for-those-behind-him-a/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [“You are the way and the wayfarers. And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/you-are-the-way-and-the-wayfarers-and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he/)

[Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/)

> [“Oftentimes have I heard you speak of one who commits a wrong as though he were not one of you, but a stranger unto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/oftentimes-have-i-heard-you-speak-of-one-who-commits-a-wrong-as-2/)

[Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/)

> [“Oftentimes have I heard you speak of one who commits a wrong as though he were not one of you, but a stranger unto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/oftentimes-have-i-heard-you-speak-of-one-who-commits-a-wrong-as/)

[Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/)

> [“Aye, and he falls for those ahead of him, who, though faster and surer of foot, yet removed not the stumbling stone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/aye-and-he-falls-for-those-ahead-of-him-who-though-faster-and-surer/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [“Like a procession you walk together towards your god-self. You are the way and the wayfarers. And when one of you falls down he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/like-a-procession-you-walk-together-towards-your-god-self-you-are-the/)

[Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/)

> [Thinking is always the stumbling stone to poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/thinking-is-always-the-stumbling-stone-to-poetry/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [“There must be, and, if we are honest, there always will be at least one situation in our lives that we cannot fix, control,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/there-must-be-and-if-we-are-honest-there-always-will-be-at-least-one-2/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [“Be careful your footsteps do not stumble by the stumbling stone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/be-careful-your-footsteps-do-not-stumble-by-the-stumbling-stone/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [You are good when you are fully awake in your speech, Yet you are not evil when you sleep while your tongue staggers without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/you-are-good-when-you-are-fully-awake-in-your-speech-yet-you-are-not/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [Many a professing Christian is a stumbling-block because his worship is divided. On Sunday he worships God; on weekdays God has little or no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/many-a-professing-christian-is-a-stumbling-block-because-his-worship/)

[Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/)

> [Her lips on his could tell him better than all her stumbling words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/her-lips-on-his-could-tell-him-better-than-all-her-stumbling-words/)

[Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/)

> [Stumbling is not falling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/stumbling-is-not-falling/)

[Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/)

> [Anyone who realises what Love is, the dedication of the heart, so profound, so absorbing, so mysterious, so imperative, and always just in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-carpenter/anyone-who-realises-what-love-is-the-dedication-of-the-heart-so/)

[Edward Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-carpenter/)

> [At some point during almost every romantic comedy, the female lead suddenly trips and falls, stumbling helplessly over something ridiculous like a leaf, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/at-some-point-during-almost-every-romantic-comedy-the-female-lead/)

[Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/)

## More by Khalil Gibran

> [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [If you are poor, shun association with him who measures men with the yardstick of riches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/if-you-are-poor-shun-association-with-him-who-measures-men-with-the/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [Hate is a dead thing. Who of you would be a tomb?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/hate-is-a-dead-thing-who-of-you-would-be-a-tomb/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [Seek ye counsel of the aged for their eyes have looked on the faces of the years and their ears have hardened to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/seek-ye-counsel-of-the-aged-for-their-eyes-have-looked-on-the-faces/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [Only once have I been made mute. It was when a man asked me, 'Who are you?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/only-once-have-i-been-made-mute-it-was-when-a-man-asked-me-who-are-you/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [The truly just is he who feels half guilty of your misdeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/the-truly-just-is-he-who-feels-half-guilty-of-your-misdeeds/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [“follow the steps trust them and yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/follow-the-steps-trust-them-and-yourself/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [Beauty is not a need but an ecstasy. It is not a mouth thirsting nor an empty hand stretched forth, But rather a heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/beauty-is-not-a-need-but-an-ecstasy-it-is-not-a-mouth-thirsting-nor/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [I have never agreed with my other self wholly. The truth of the matter seems to lie between us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/i-have-never-agreed-with-my-other-self-wholly-the-truth-of-the-matter/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [“That which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within the bounds of that first moment which scattered the stars into space”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/that-which-sings-and-contemplates-in-you-is-still-dwelling-within-the/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might also pray in the fullness of your joy and in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/you-pray-in-your-distress-and-in-your-need-would-that-you-might-also/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [“The veil that clouds your eyes shall be lifted by the hands that wove it, And the clay that fills your ears shall be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/the-veil-that-clouds-your-eyes-shall-be-lifted-by-the-hands-that-wove/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/work-is-love-made-visible-and-if-you-cannot-work-with-love-but-only/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [joy and sorrow are inseparable. . . together they come and when one sits alone with you . . remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/joy-and-sorrow-are-inseparable-together-they-come-and-when-one-sits/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

> [Like the ocean is your god-self; It remains for ever undefiled. And like the ether it lifts but the winged. Even like the sun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/like-the-ocean-is-your-god-self-it-remains-for-ever-undefiled-and/)

[Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

[Explore all 688 Khalil Gibran quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/)

## More Behinds quotes

> [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/time-is-painted-with-a-lock-before-and-bald-behind-signifying-thereby/)

[Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/)

> [God hides Himself behind causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rollin/god-hides-himself-behind-causes/)

[Charles Rollin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rollin/)

> [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/)

[Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/)

> [With the realization of God comes all power. If the little wave knew that behind it is the great ocean, it could say, "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/with-the-realization-of-god-comes-all-power-if-the-little-wave-knew/)

[Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/)

> [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/)

[Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/)

> [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm really thankful to God, man. Like now, I'm really making a real comeback with my group. With or without a record, with or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-turner/i-m-really-thankful-to-god-man-like-now-i-m-really-making-a-real/)

[Ike Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-turner/)

> [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/)

[Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/)

> [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/)

[Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/)

> [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/)

[N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/)

[Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone. Ay, and he falls for those ahead of him, who though faster and surer of foot, yet removed not the stumbling stone.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Khalil Gibran"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls-for-those-behind-him-a-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Behinds"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls-for-those-behind-him-a-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/khalil-gibran-286_behinds_and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls_3100749.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/khalil-gibran-286_behinds_and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls_3100749.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/khalil-gibran-286_behinds_and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls_3100749.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“And when one of you falls down he falls for those behind him, a caution against the stumbling stone. Ay, and…” — Khalil Gibran",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Khalil Gibran",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "And when one of you falls...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls-for-those-behind-him-a-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/and-when-one-of-you-falls-down-he-falls-for-those-behind-him-a-2/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
