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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: Unclear; scraped from a book titled 'The Bhagavad Gita' as a garbled example/dialogue fragment ('teacher21...').
About this quote
At its core this is about uneven discipline: two people commit the same offense, yet only one faces consequences. Being spared while another is punished for the identical act breeds resentment and quietly teaches that fairness bends to favoritism, which erodes trust faster than any penalty would.
When to use it
- A manager overlooking a favorite's late arrivals while writing up everyone else.
- Two kids caught drawing on the wall, but only one gets sent to their room.
- A referee calling a foul on one team and ignoring the identical play by the other.