What a man does defiles him, not what is done by others.
Meaning of the quote
What the quote means is that the bad things you do to others are more important than the bad things others do to you. Your own actions and behavior are what really matter, not how other people treat you. It's your own choices and decisions that define who you are, not how other people act. The quote is saying that you should focus on being a good person yourself, instead of worrying about how others behave.
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More quotes from William Golding
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