The real power here lies in Gandhi's distinction between injury and permission—he's not denying that people can wound us physically or socially, but rather claiming ownership over our emotional surrender. When a critic attacks your work, the sting isn't automatic; it arrives only when you've accepted their judgment as your truth. What makes this radical is that it shifts the conversation from the perpetrator's malice (which you cannot control) to your own agency in granting credence to their words—a distinction that separates resilience from mere thick skin. A divorced parent who refuses to absorb their ex-spouse's contempt teaches their children far more about dignity than one who retaliates in kind.