411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Chesterton's fence
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
English
Etymology
From a parable by G.K. Chesterton, suggesting that one should not remove a fence until one learns why it was erected in the first place.
Noun
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en public policy The principle that reforms should not be made until the reasoning behind the existing state of affairs is understood.
en eponyms