The blind leading the blind
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
People who lack knowledge or ability trying to guide others who are equally uninformed. Common but potentially insensitive if used carelessly around disability; it describes shared ignorance, not visual impairment literally. Regional use: Late Middle English biblical translation; now widespread.
Origin
Matthew 15:14 and Luke 6:39 use the image of one blind person leading another until both fall. The late Middle English Wycliffe Matthew has if a blind man lead a blind man, both fall into the ditch. The now familiar noun phrase condenses that complete sentence. The expression concerns lack of understanding in context; applying blindness itself as a synonym for incompetence can be insensitive outside the established quotation.
Research Sources
Variants
- When the blind lead the blind
Usage Examples
- With neither volunteer trained, the exercise became the blind leading the blind.
- Two first-time renovators advising each other felt like the blind leading the blind.
- The tutorial was so vague that beginners were left with the blind leading the blind.