Meaning
The consequences of aggressive actions are much harder to resolve than the emotions that caused them.
Usage Context
Used to advise restraint during disputes or to warn of the long-term impact of harsh words.
'A knot pulled in anger cannot be untied with a smile.' This teaching focuses on the permanence of emotional strikes. It warns that while the anger may pass, the constriction it creates remains. It encourages practitioners to pause before 'pulling the string' of a conflict, as the resulting tangle may be permanent.
The consequences of aggressive actions are much harder to resolve than the emotions that caused them.
Used to advise restraint during disputes or to warn of the long-term impact of harsh words.
Ojú rí rọ̀, ọkàn kò dẹ́rọ̀; koko tí a fi ìbínú fà, a kì í fi ẹ̀rín tú u.
A knot pulled in anger cannot be untied with a smile. Be careful what you permanently bind.