"It is impossible in this body to follow ahimsa fully. Violence is inescapable. While the eyes wink and nails have to be pared, violence in one form or another is unavoidable. Evil is inherent in action, says the Gita. Arjuna did not, therefore, raise the question of violence and nonviolence. He simply raised the question of distinction between kinsmen and others, much in the same way that a fond mother would advance arguments favouring her child." - Attributed to Mahatma Gandhi

Philosophy Self-Reflection Ethics

“It is impossible in this body to follow ahimsa fully. Violence is inescapable. While the eyes wink and nails have to be pared, violence in one form or another is unavoidable. Evil is inherent in action, says the Gita. Arjuna did not, therefore, raise the question of violence and nonviolence. He simply raised the question of distinction between kinsmen and others, much in the same way that a fond mother would advance arguments favouring her child.”

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Probable attribution

This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.

Likely origin: Gandhi's discourse in 'The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi' (Gita talks given at Sabarmati Ashram 1926, pub. 1946).

About this quote

The point isn't that harm is fine—it's that some harm is unavoidable simply by being alive and acting in the world. Pretending you can stay perfectly blameless leads to paralysis or self-deception. Better to accept that every action carries a cost and to choose, honestly, the one that does the least.

When to use it

A gardener accepts that clearing weeds kills some insects and picks the method that spares the most.
A doctor knows every treatment has side effects and chooses the one with the least harm.
A hiring manager can't avoid disappointing candidates and tries to turn people down with the most decency.