About this quote

Choosing forgiveness can be a quiet way to take power back. It stops you from trading blows and leaves the other person exposed to their own anger. That does not mean you must tolerate abuse — set clear limits and keep your distance when needed. Try forgiving a small slight and notice the change in the room.

When to use it

• At work, after a colleague blamed me for a missed target in front of the team, I smiled and later thought, 'Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much,' to keep my cool.
• At a family dinner when my sister made a mean joke about my life, I let it pass and used that line to remind myself not to retaliate.
• In a tennis match after an opponent spent the whole game trash-talking, I shook their hand politely and kept quiet, knowing my calm would bother them more than a shout.
• During a negotiation when a client insulted my fee, I thanked them and walked away, thinking that forgiving the insult would throw them off their tactic.