--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everybody's business is nobody's business." description: "\"Everybody's business is nobody's business.\" — Thomas B. Macaulay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/thomas-b-macaulay-1980_business_everybody-s-business-is-nobody-s-busines_1168174.png" --- # Everybody's business is nobody's business. ![“Everybody's business is nobody's business.” quote by Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/thomas-b-macaulay-1980_business_everybody-s-business-is-nobody-s-busines_1168174.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/thomas-b-macaulay-1980_business_everybody-s-business-is-nobody-s-busines_1168174.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/thomas-b-macaulay-1980_business_everybody-s-business-is-nobody-s-busines_1168174.png) > “Everybody's business is nobody's business.” [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If everyone assumes responsibility, no one actually takes action, leading to neglect. **In simple terms:** Shared responsibility can cause inaction. Key Takeaway Assign clear ownership to tasks. Themes responsibility accountability inaction collective duty Mood cautionary thoughtful Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - team projects - community initiatives - shared chores Key Concepts social psychology organizational behavior diffusion of responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure accountability in groups? - When is collective responsibility beneficial? A Different Perspective Sometimes shared effort is necessary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-business-366620/) [Everybody Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody-business-984776/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [What's everybody's business is nobody's business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/what-s-everybody-s-business-is-nobody-s-business/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [Everybody's business is nobody's business, and nobody's business is my business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-barton/everybody-s-business-is-nobody-s-business-and-nobody-s-business-is-my/) [Clara Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-barton/) > [That which is everybody's business is nobody's business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/that-which-is-everybody-s-business-is-nobody-s-business/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [The business of everybody is the business of nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/the-business-of-everybody-is-the-business-of-nobody/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [If I were in this business only for the business, I wouldn't be in this business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/if-i-were-in-this-business-only-for-the-business-i-wouldn-t-be-in/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [You and I and everybody in show business and the entertainment industry fly by the seat of our pants. We don't know quite what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/you-and-i-and-everybody-in-show-business-and-the-entertainment/) [William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/) > [I feel fine, I don't care who the director is. All you have to do is know what your doing - all of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-feel-fine-i-don-t-care-who-the-director-is-all-you-have-to-do-is/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [Listen, even if you go wild, I like class. Everybody in show business never should forget that there is a line, and that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charo/listen-even-if-you-go-wild-i-like-class-everybody-in-show-business/) [Charo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charo/) > [Everybody's got something to say about everybody else's business. Why pass judgement when u don't even know the people you're talking about?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariana-grande/everybody-s-got-something-to-say-about-everybody-else-s-business-why/) [Ariana Grande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariana-grande/) > [Long ago I added to the true old adage of "What is everybody's business is nobody's business," another clause which, I think, morethan any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-barton/long-ago-i-added-to-the-true-old-adage-of-what-is-everybody-s/) [Clara Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-barton/) > [I worked with practically everybody in the business in all of the years in NBC, but I worked personally many years with people like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skitch-henderson/i-worked-with-practically-everybody-in-the-business-in-all-of-the/) [Skitch Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skitch-henderson/) > [Space is for everybody. It's not just for a few people in science or math, or for a select group of astronauts. That's our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/space-is-for-everybody-it-s-not-just-for-a-few-people-in-science-or/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [The whole world and every human being in it is everybody's business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/the-whole-world-and-every-human-being-in-it-is-everybody-s-business/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Ladies be a woman about your business not some little girl who's in everybody business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-samuel/ladies-be-a-woman-about-your-business-not-some-little-girl-who-s-in/) [Robert Samuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-samuel/) > [I grew up in east Tennessee, and everybody knew everybody's business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-chesney/i-grew-up-in-east-tennessee-and-everybody-knew-everybody-s-business/) [Kenny Chesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-chesney/) ## More by Thomas B. 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His variety is like the variety of nature,--endless diversity, scarcely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/highest-among-those-who-have-exhibited-human-nature-by-means-of/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The most beautiful object in the world, it will be allowed, is a beautiful woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/the-most-beautiful-object-in-the-world-it-will-be-allowed-is-a/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The passages in which Milton has alluded to his own circumstances are perhaps read more frequently, and with more interest, than any other lines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/the-passages-in-which-milton-has-alluded-to-his-own-circumstances-are/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Oh, wherefore come ye forth in triumph from the north, With your hands, and your feet, and your raiment all red? And wherefore doth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/oh-wherefore-come-ye-forth-in-triumph-from-the-north-with-your-hands/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [It is, I believe, no exaggeration to say that all the historical information which has been collected in the Sanskrit language is less valuable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/it-is-i-believe-no-exaggeration-to-say-that-all-the-historical/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Ambrose Phillips . . . who had the honor of bringing into fashion a species of composition which has been called, after his name, Namby Pamby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/ambrose-phillips-who-had-the-honor-of-bringing-into-fashion-a-species/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [In the infancy of civilization, when our island was as savage as New Guinea, when letters and arts were still unknown to Athens, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/in-the-infancy-of-civilization-when-our-island-was-as-savage-as-new/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [In truth it may be laid down as an almost universal rule that good poets are bad critics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/in-truth-it-may-be-laid-down-as-an-almost-universal-rule-that-good/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [He had a head which statuaries loved to copy, and a foot the deformity of which the beggars in the streets mimicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/he-had-a-head-which-statuaries-loved-to-copy-and-a-foot-the-deformity/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The Spartan, smiting and spurning the wretched Helot, moves our disgust. But the same Spartan, calmly dressing his hair, and uttering his concise jests,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/the-spartan-smiting-and-spurning-the-wretched-helot-moves-our-disgust/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) [Explore all 193 Thomas B. 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