--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everything has two handles; the one soft…" description: "\"Everything has two handles; the one soft and manageable, the other such as will not endure to be touched. If then your brother do you an injury, do not..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/epictetus-413_accidents_everything-has-two-handles-the-one-soft_2071411.jpg" --- # Everything has two handles; the one soft and manageable… ![“Everything has two handles; the one soft and manageable, the other such as will not endure to be touched. If then your brother do you an injury, do not take it by the hot hard handle, by representing to yourself all the aggravating circumstances of the fact; but look rather on the soft side, and…” quote by Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/epictetus-413_accidents_everything-has-two-handles-the-one-soft_2071411.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/epictetus-413_accidents_everything-has-two-handles-the-one-soft_2071411.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/epictetus-413_accidents_everything-has-two-handles-the-one-soft_2071411.jpg) > “Everything has two handles; the one soft and manageable, the other such as will not endure to be touched. If then your brother do you an injury, do not take it by the hot hard handle, by representing to yourself all the aggravating circumstances of the fact; but look rather on the soft side, and extenuate it as much as is possible, by considering the nearness of the relation, and the long friendship and familiarity between you--obligations to kindness which a single provocation ought not to dissolve. And thus you will take the accident by its manageable handle.” [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Handle conflicts gently by focusing on relationships and kindness rather than reacting harshly. **In simple terms:** Choose compassion over retaliation. Key Takeaway Respond with empathy, not anger. Themes philosophy ethics relationships Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal disputes - family disagreements - workplace tension Key Concepts Stoic practice emotional regulation conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How can you apply gentle handling in daily conflicts? - What benefits arise from emphasizing kindness? A Different Perspective Hard responses can damage bonds. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Brotherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brotherhood/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Forbearance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forbearance/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Injury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injury/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Long friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-friendship/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Provocation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/provocation/) ## Related quotes > [“Avoid contact with all people in whom there is no possible resonance with what touches you most deeply and toward whom you have obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laure-colette-peignot/avoid-contact-with-all-people-in-whom-there-is-no-possible-resonance/) Laure (Colette) Peignot > [Someone once told me you don't know about cancer until it touches you. 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Because friendship dwells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/real-friendship-is-the-sharing-of-all-that-the-heart-holds-inside-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ \[on his long friendship with Dr. Dre\] I think me and Dre are gonna be like Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. When we get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/on-his-long-friendship-with-dr-dre-i-think-me-and-dre-are-gonna-be/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Neither is life long enough for friendship. That is a serious and majestic affair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/neither-is-life-long-enough-for-friendship-that-is-a-serious-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Every so often they exchanged these quick, knowing glances, each making sure the other one was still there, still with her. I wondered how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-stewart/every-so-often-they-exchanged-these-quick-knowing-glances-each-making/) [Leah Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-stewart/) > [A friend's loyalty lasts longer than their memory. Over the course of a long friendship, you might fight with your friend, even get angry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-reilly/a-friend-s-loyalty-lasts-longer-than-their-memory-over-the-course-of/) [Matthew Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-reilly/) ## More by Epictetus > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/practice-yourself-for-heaven-s-sake-in-little-things-and-then-proceed/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Do not laugh much or often or unrestrainedly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/do-not-laugh-much-or-often-or-unrestrainedly/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [When men are unhappy, they do not imagine they can ever cease to be so; and when some calamity has fallen on them, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/when-men-are-unhappy-they-do-not-imagine-they-can-ever-cease-to-be-so/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to-us-but-by-our-thoughts-about/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Don't be prideful with any excellence that is not your own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/don-t-be-prideful-with-any-excellence-that-is-not-your-own/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [You know yourself what you are worth in your own eyes; and at what price you will sell yourself. 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Wish to be considered to know nothing; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/if-you-would-improve-submit-to-be-considered-wihout-sense-and-foolish/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“For it is not death or pain that is to be feared, but the fear of pain or death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/for-it-is-not-death-or-pain-that-is-to-be-feared-but-the-fear-of-pain/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [What else can I do, a lame old man, but sing hymns to God? 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The wise see all blame as foolishness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/small-minded-people-blame-others-average-people-blame-themselves-the/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/all-philosophy-lies-in-two-words-sustain-and-abstain/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) [Explore all 577 Epictetus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## More Accidents quotes > [Almost all accidents take place because of human distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/almost-all-accidents-take-place-because-of-human-distraction/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. 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You can have good things happen, on occasion, by accident that can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-willis/good-films-are-not-made-by-accident-nor-is-good-photography-you-can/) [Gordon Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-willis/) > [By education I am an Englishman, by views an internationalist, by culture a Muslim and a Hindu only by accident of birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/by-education-i-am-an-englishman-by-views-an-internationalist-by/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [I made out with a homeless guy by accident. I had no idea -- he was really tan, he had no shoes on. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/i-made-out-with-a-homeless-guy-by-accident-i-had-no-idea-he-was/) [Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/) > [Naturally I feel no shame in writing these things because of the time which separates the moment when they are written--when only I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-ernaux/naturally-i-feel-no-shame-in-writing-these-things-because-of-the-time/) [Annie Ernaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-ernaux/) > [In a city where you walk around, it's impossible to plan your day and your life as accidents will happen, you'll overhear things, bump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schwartzman/in-a-city-where-you-walk-around-it-s-impossible-to-plan-your-day-and/) [Jason Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schwartzman/) > [I don't think it's by accident that I was first attracted to translating two French women poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/i-don-t-think-it-s-by-accident-that-i-was-first-attracted-to/) [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) > [Despite my mentors advice that I would never go to heaven fishing with a weighted nymph and a float, I took it up. 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