THE ART OF NON-PROVOCATION Character Above Every Insult

The world will always contain unpleasant people and provocative situations. We cannot control what others say, but we can certainly control how we respond. A praiseworthy character acts like a shield. It prevents external negativity from entering one’s inner world. The strongest person, therefore, is not one who immediately retaliates. It is one whose character remains predictable and firm under provocation. Sometimes the most powerful answer to an insult is simply to remain unaffected—and move on.  A wise person is content to take less than his due and willing to give others more than theirs. Many conflicts arise not merely because someone says something unpleasant, but because the other person immediately reacts. One provocative word produces another, and soon a minor incident develops into a major confrontation.