Pericles Answered a Day of Insults With a Torch—and a Lesson in Silence

In Plutarch’s account of Pericles, a man insults the Athenian leader throughout the day and follows him home, still shouting. Pericles says nothing. When they arrive at his door after dark, he asks a servant to take a torch and guide the man home safely. I keep thinking about this story when someone drags me online or in a group chat and I feel my fingers reaching for a reply. Sometimes refusing to respond can stop an insult from turning into a quarrel. But silence can also be mistaken for weakness. When was the last time you chose not to reply? Did it cost you something, or save you from a bigger argument? I’d like to hear both sides.

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