“We should meet abuse by forbearance. Human nature is so constituted that if we take absolutely no notice of anger or abuse, the person indulging in it will soon weary of it and stop.”
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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: Attributed to Gandhi (the theme of meeting abuse with forbearance recurs across his Satyagraha writings); no confirmed dated primary citation found.
About this quote
A tirade needs a reaction to keep going; deny it one and it burns out for lack of fuel. Staying unruffled in the face of provocation is not weakness but a form of control, since you refuse to hand the other person the very response their anger is fishing for.
When to use it
- A support worker who stays even-toned through a caller's insults watches the shouting fade within minutes.
- A teenager who stops reacting to a sibling's jabs finds the teasing dies off once it no longer lands.
- A manager who meets an angry rant with calm questions defuses it faster than firing back ever would.