What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
Beware of the man who does not return your blow: he neither forgives you nor allows you to forgive yourself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that someone who does not retaliate is not truly forgiving, impacting both your conscience and their own.
George Bernard Shaw's quote warns us against individuals who do not respond to personal offenses. It implies that such a person's silence or lack of retaliation fosters an unspoken tension, as they neither grant you forgiveness nor allow themselves to move past the conflict, ultimately trapping both parties in unresolved feelings of resentment.
Themes
ForgivenessResentmentConflictPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about conflict resolution, you could use this quote to emphasize the importance of genuine forgiveness.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes βMarriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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