The proverb recommends a restrained response because tone can either lower or intensify conflict.
Proverbs 15:1 in the King James Version; the proverb contrasts a soft answer with speech that intensifies wrath.
“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”
Good judgment starts by hearing more quickly than speaking or reacting, especially when anger is close to the surface.
James 1:19 in the King James Version, pairing readiness to listen with restraint in speech and anger.
“Angry people are not always wise.”
Strong emotion can narrow judgment, so being certain while angry is not the same as being correct.
Pride and Prejudice; the line is preserved in the novel’s dialogue about anger, judgment, and the limits of certainty while emotions are high.
“A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.”
Anger spreads beyond the person feeling it: an uncontrolled response can create conflict, while restraint can reduce conflict for everyone involved.
Proverbs 15:18 in the King James Version.
“He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.”
Slowness to anger creates time for judgment; impulsive anger gives emotion control before understanding has caught up.
Proverbs 14:29, King James Version.
“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
Error is treated as ordinary human limitation, while forgiveness requires an additional act of generosity.
An Essay on Criticism, Part III; Pope joins good nature and good sense before contrasting ordinary human error with the higher moral act of forgiveness.
“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”
The advice combines generosity with judgment: goodwill can be broad while trust remains selective.
All’s Well That Ends Well, Act I, Scene 1; the Countess of Roussillon gives Bertram the counsel “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” Verified against Wikisource’s 1910 facsimile transcription of the 1623 First Folio (folio spelling “Loue all, trust a few, Doe wrong to none”); direct evidence resolves to the reviewed Act I transcription.
