Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it’s addressed to someone else.

The aphorism plays on the biblical idiom “the writing on the wall,” meaning an unmistakable warning of impending trouble. Ball’s twist is psychological: people often recognize clear signs—about health, relationships, finances, ethics, or institutional decline—yet protect themselves with denial by imagining the warning applies to others. The line captures a common mechanism of avoidance and diffusion of responsibility: awareness without ownership. Its bite comes from the inclusive “Most of us,” making the observation less accusatory than diagnostic, and urging a shift from passive recognition to personal accountability and timely action.