“Toute ma vie, j'ai été habitué à ce que les autres se trompent sur mon compte. C'est le lot de tout homme public. Il lui faut une solide cuirasse; car s'il fallait donner des explications pour se justifier quand on se méprend sur vos intentions, la vie deviendrait insupportable. Je me suis fait une règle de ne jamais intervenir pour rectifier ce genre d'erreur, à moins que ne l'exige la cause que je défends. Ce principe m'a épargné bien du temps et bien des tracas.”
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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: French translation of a genuine Gandhi passage on being misunderstood (a public man needs a hard 'cuirass'); from writings collected in 'Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha)'.
About this quote
Anyone in public life gets misread, and the temptation is to chase down every wrong impression and set it straight. The counsel is to grow a thick skin instead: leave most misunderstandings uncorrected, stepping in only when the cause you serve actually depends on it. The saved energy is the reward.
When to use it
- A manager who lets an unfair rumor die on its own rather than calling a meeting to defend herself.
- An author who stops arguing with every bad-faith review and gets back to writing the next book.
- Ignoring a stranger's snide comment online instead of spending the whole evening drafting rebuttals.