About this quote

When someone treats you poorly, your immediate instinct is to strike back with the same venom. Doing that just makes you a mirror of the person you despise. Do you really want to let their bad behavior dictate your character? True strength lies in refusing to adopt the low standards of your enemy. You win by staying decent when others choose to act dirt cheap.

When to use it

• Your former business partner stole a client and lied about your work quality to others. Instead of writing an angry expose on LinkedIn, you focus on delivering flawless service to your current accounts.
• An uncle brings up old political arguments at Thanksgiving to get a rise out of you. You pass him the gravy and ask about his garden instead of taking the bait.
• A rival runner trips you during a race but the referee misses it. You do not try to trip them back on the next turn; you simply run faster and beat them to the finish line.