Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
People often hold back harsh words out of kindness or conscience.
In plain terms
Even when angry, someone might stop themselves from saying something cruel.
What can you take from it?
Restraint in speech can show hidden kindness.

Where it applies

  • conflict
  • anger
  • social friction

Putting it to work

  • pause before speaking
  • consider impact
  • choose words wisely

Questions to consider

  • When have you held back words?
  • Why change your mind?

Another view

Sometimes restraint is just fear of consequences, not kindness.

More from Dinah Craik

  1. Oh, if I could live four weeks longer! but no matter, no matter!

    Permalink to quote #14
  2. 'I am but as others: I am but what I was born to be.' 'Do you recognize what you were born to be? Not only a nobleman, but a gentleman; not only a gentleman, b…

    Permalink to quote #16
  3. Autumn to winter, winter into spring, Spring into summer, summer into fall, - So rolls the changing year, and so we change; Motion so swift, we know not that w…

    Permalink to quote #13

Related quotes

  1. What do men want? They want a lot of pals, and they wish that people wouldn't get so mad at them.

    Kurt VonnegutKurt Vonnegut quote #169
  2. As soon as the war ended, we located the one spot on earth that hadn't been touched by the war and blew it to hell.

    Bob HopeBob Hope quote #1
  3. How can there be peace on earth when there's war in love?

    Andre SchneiderAndre Schneider quote #1