About this quote

The line forces you to recognize that scale changes harm: what looks trivial to an adult can overwhelm a child. Stop shrugging off small wrongs and take responsibility to see things from another person's size and view. Ask yourself: am I minimizing problems because they don't hurt me? Fixing small injustices now prevents much larger damage later.

When to use it

• Point it out in a meeting when someone dismisses a junior's concern as 'minor' and insist you investigate rather than ignore it.
• Use it when teaching parents to listen: remind them that a small hurt for a child can feel huge and needs attention.
• Quote it to a friend who keeps minimizing another person's pain, and challenge them to see the situation from the smaller person's perspective.
• Apply it to policy or team decisions: prefer correcting small unfairness now rather than letting it grow into systemic harm.