--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every time we hold our tongues instead of…" description: "\"Every time we hold our tongues instead of returning the sharp retort, show patience with another's faults, show a little more love and kindness, we are..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/connie-foster-229080_armament_every-time-we-hold-our-tongues-instead-o_124450.png" --- # Every time we hold our tongues instead of returning the… ![“Every time we hold our tongues instead of returning the sharp retort, show patience with another's faults, show a little more love and kindness, we are helping to stock-pile more of these peace-bringing qualities in the world instead of armaments for war.” quote by Connie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/connie-foster-229080_armament_every-time-we-hold-our-tongues-instead-o_124450.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/connie-foster-229080_armament_every-time-we-hold-our-tongues-instead-o_124450.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/connie-foster-229080_armament_every-time-we-hold-our-tongues-instead-o_124450.png) > “Every time we hold our tongues instead of returning the sharp retort, show patience with another's faults, show a little more love and kindness, we are helping to stock-pile more of these peace-bringing qualities in the world instead of armaments for war.” Connie Foster ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that practicing patience, love, and kindness instead of sharp retorts builds peace and reduces warlike aggression in the world. **In simple terms:** Patience and love create peace, not conflict. Key Takeaway Cultivate kindness over quick anger. Themes peace kindness patience communication non‑violence Mood calm hopeful empathetic Type Armament:0 Faults:0 Helping:1 Kindness:1 Littles:0 Love:1 Love and kindness:1 Patience:1 Peace:1 Quality:0 Retorts:0 Shows:0 Time:0 Tongue:0 War:0 World:0 Love Kindness:1 Hold Tongues:0 Kindness Helping:1 Peace Bringing:1 Retort Patience:1 When to use this quote - personal relationships - community building - social media interaction Key Concepts ethics conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How can individual kindness influence larger societal conflicts? - What habits help replace reactive retorts with patience? A Different Perspective It may oversimplify complex geopolitical causes of war. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Armament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/armament/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love and kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-and-kindness/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Retorts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retorts/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [It is not the things you have that make you happy. It is love and kindness and helping each other and just plain being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/it-is-not-the-things-you-have-that-make-you-happy-it-is-love-and/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [As you read my stories of long ago I hope you will remember that things truly worthwhile and that will give you happiness are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/as-you-read-my-stories-of-long-ago-i-hope-you-will-remember-that/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [Well the message I have for everyone working on peace, is that bringing results on peace can be easily entrained passively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abiy-ahmed/well-the-message-i-have-for-everyone-working-on-peace-is-that/) [Abiy Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abiy-ahmed/) > [Love should bring joy, it should grant a person peace, but here and not, it was bringing only pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/love-should-bring-joy-it-should-grant-a-person-peace-but-here-and-not/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“The only way you can bring peace to yourself is by bringing peace to others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aquanetta-gordon/the-only-way-you-can-bring-peace-to-yourself-is-by-bringing-peace-to/) Aquanetta Gordon > [It an act of kindness by helping others, always uprooting the weed and planting a rose that gives the essence of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humaira/it-an-act-of-kindness-by-helping-others-always-uprooting-the-weed-and/) [Humaira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humaira/) > [Meet hostility and suspicion with kindness. Helping others out of love is always the best option.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/meet-hostility-and-suspicion-with-kindness-helping-others-out-of-love/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [If we can only speak to slander our betters, let us hold our tongues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/if-we-can-only-speak-to-slander-our-betters-let-us-hold-our-tongues/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [They are all alike you know. They hold their tongues for years and you think you're safe, but when the opportunity comes they remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/they-are-all-alike-you-know-they-hold-their-tongues-for-years-and-you/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [People who can hold their tongues, rarely have any troubles holding their friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-who-can-hold-their-tongues-rarely-have-any-troubles-holding/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People Who Can Hold Their Tongues Rarely Have Any Trouble Holding Their Friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/people-who-can-hold-their-tongues-rarely-have-any-trouble-holding/) Pacifiersucker > [Laws are commanded to hold their tongues among arms; and tribunals fall to the ground with the peace they are no longer able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/laws-are-commanded-to-hold-their-tongues-among-arms-and-tribunals/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I am getting sick of people. I am falling in love with things. They hold their tongues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-fern/i-am-getting-sick-of-people-i-am-falling-in-love-with-things-they/) [Fanny Fern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-fern/) > [We hold our tongues in check because if they are undisciplined they empty the soul of the strength of heavenly grace, and weaken its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-damian/we-hold-our-tongues-in-check-because-if-they-are-undisciplined-they/) [Peter Damian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-damian/) > [To hold our tongues when everyone is gossiping, to smile without hostility at people and institutions, to compensate for the shortage of love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/to-hold-our-tongues-when-everyone-is-gossiping-to-smile-without/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## More Armament quotes > [These are the men who, without virtue, labour, or hazard, are growing rich, as their country is impoverished; they rejoice, when obstinacy or ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/these-are-the-men-who-without-virtue-labour-or-hazard-are-growing/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That a modern battleship of 48,000 tons would have to defend itself against wood and fabric biplanes with its main armament was a salutary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hough/that-a-modern-battleship-of-48-000-tons-would-have-to-defend-itself/) Richard Hough > [What is at stake is how to answer the potential threat Iraq represents with the risk of proliferation of WMD. Baghdad's regime did use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-chirac/what-is-at-stake-is-how-to-answer-the-potential-threat-iraq/) [Jacques Chirac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-chirac/) > [For ISIS, the answer is to cut off their food, their water, their armaments, you know, and their funding. I don't mean literally their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/for-isis-the-answer-is-to-cut-off-their-food-their-water-their/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [A people living under the perpetual menace of war and invasion is very easy to govern. It demands no social reform. It does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/a-people-living-under-the-perpetual-menace-of-war-and-invasion-is/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [One of the primary necessities of the world for the maintenance of peace is the elimination of the frictions which arise from competitive armament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/one-of-the-primary-necessities-of-the-world-for-the-maintenance-of/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [This is what I do know: A lie, however well-intended, can't prepare you for reality or change the world... To tell the truth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/this-is-what-i-do-know-a-lie-however-well-intended-can-t-prepare-you/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [It is idle to say that nations can struggle to outdo each other in building armaments and never use them. History demonstrates the contrary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-kellogg/it-is-idle-to-say-that-nations-can-struggle-to-outdo-each-other-in/) [Frank B. Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-kellogg/) > [For India to enter into the race for armaments is to court suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/for-india-to-enter-into-the-race-for-armaments-is-to-court-suicide/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Do not fear or misunderstand when the Government say they are looking to our defences. I give you my word that there will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/do-not-fear-or-misunderstand-when-the-government-say-they-are-looking/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [A program of "disarmament," while imperialist antagonisms survive, is the most pernicious of fictions. Even if it were realized by way of general agreement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/a-program-of-disarmament-while-imperialist-antagonisms-survive-is-the/) [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) > [In different countries the basis of resistance takes different forms, but it comes chiefly from the conservative groups. Hence it becomes increasingly difficult to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-t-flynn/in-different-countries-the-basis-of-resistance-takes-different-forms/) [John T. Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-t-flynn/) > [We are firmly convinced, and we act on that conviction, that with nations as with individuals our interests soundly calculated will ever be found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/we-are-firmly-convinced-and-we-act-on-that-conviction-that-with/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Disarmament or limitation of armaments, which depends on the progress made on security, also contributes to the maintenance of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-quidde/disarmament-or-limitation-of-armaments-which-depends-on-the-progress/) [Ludwig Quidde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-quidde/) > [ I just want to give a lot of things - and just to respond. I agree with \[Hillary Clinton\] on one thing. The single… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-just-want-to-give-a-lot-of-things-and-just-to-respond-i-agree-with/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) [Browse all 123 Armament quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/armament/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every time we hold our tongues instead of returning the sharp retort, show patience with another's faults, show a little more love and kindness, we are helping to stock-pile more of these peace-bringing qualities in the world instead of armaments for war.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Connie Foster" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-foster/every-time-we-hold-our-tongues-instead-of-returning-the-sharp-retort/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Armament" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-foster/every-time-we-hold-our-tongues-instead-of-returning-the-sharp-retort/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/connie-foster-229080_armament_every-time-we-hold-our-tongues-instead-o_124450.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/connie-foster-229080_armament_every-time-we-hold-our-tongues-instead-o_124450.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f40/connie-foster-229080_armament_every-time-we-hold-our-tongues-instead-o_124450.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every time we hold our tongues instead of returning the sharp retort, show patience with another's faults…” — Connie Foster", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Connie Foster", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-foster/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Every time we hold our tongues...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-foster/every-time-we-hold-our-tongues-instead-of-returning-the-sharp-retort/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-foster/every-time-we-hold-our-tongues-instead-of-returning-the-sharp-retort/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```