About this quote

Anyone who demands fair treatment quietly gives up the right to be arbitrary with others. The principle stings because wanting justice for yourself is easy, while extending it to a rival or a subordinate costs something. Consistency is the price of the claim.

When to use it

• A manager who demands to be heard in every dispute but talks over a junior's complaint.
• A parent insisting on respect from a teenager while brushing aside the teen's own grievances.
• A tenants' group fighting an unfair landlord that then quietly underpays its own cleaner.