अपने दोष को दूसरों पर डालना

apane doṣ ko dūsaron par ḍālnā◆idiom
blame-shifting

उसने अपनी गलती को दूसरों पर डाल दिया।

He shifted the blame for his mistake onto others.

◆ What It Really Means
The psychological act of deflecting personal responsibility by unfairly attributing faults to others, often to protect one's self-image or avoid consequences.
Literal Meaning
To place one's own faults on others.
Literal Breakdown
अपनेone's own+दोषfaults+दूसरों परon others+डालनाto place
◇ Mental Image
The mental picture of someone physically transferring a heavy burden (their faults) onto another person's shoulders to lighten their own load.
◈ When to Use
During a team meeting, a manager takes credit for a successful project but blames the team for delays. Colleagues might say, 'उसने अपने दोष को दूसरों पर डाल दिया' (He shifted the blame for his mistakes onto others).
◉ Cultural Note
This idiom reflects a cultural norm where direct confrontation is often avoided in favor of indirect blame-shifting. It is rooted in the concept of 'saving face' (बचाव करना) and maintaining social harmony (सामाजिक सद्भाव).
informal

To attribute one's own faults or mistakes to others in order to avoid responsibility.

माता-पिता ने बच्चे की गलती को शिक्षक पर डाल दिया।

The parents blamed the teacher for their child's mistake.

राजनीतिज्ञ ने अपनी विफलता का ठीकरा विपक्ष पर फोड़ दिया।

The politician blamed the opposition for his failure.

Common in interpersonal conflicts, workplace disputes, and political rhetoric.

Related Phrases

अपने सिर पर पत्थर रखनाidiom
to take responsibility for one's actions (antonym)

Pro Tip

Cultural Insight

In collectivist cultures like India, blame-shifting can be a subtle way to preserve social harmony by avoiding direct confrontation. However, it may also erode trust over time.

Gold Rule

Usage Context

Use this idiom when someone avoids accountability by unfairly blaming others. It implies intentional deception rather than accidental oversight.

Word Origin

Compound phrase from Hindi 'अपना' (own) + 'दोष' (fault) + 'दूसरों' (others) + 'पर' (on) + 'डालना' (to place). The idiom reflects a cultural tendency to avoid personal accountability by redirecting blame.

Usage Notes

This idiom is widely used in Hindi-speaking regions to describe behavior where individuals refuse to take responsibility for their actions. It is often employed in informal contexts but may also appear in formal discussions about ethics or accountability.

Word Breakdown

अपने
one's own
pronoun
+
दोष
fault/blame
noun
+
को
accusative marker
postposition
+
दूसरों
others
pronoun
+
पर
on
postposition
+
डालना
to place/put
verb
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