"Ce n’est pas ce que vous prêchez, c’est ce que vous tolérez"
— Jocko Willink
Simplified Meaning:
What matters more than what you say or promise is what you allow to happen around you. Imagine a teacher who always talks about the importance of honesty and being respectful. However, if the teacher sees students cheating or being rude and does nothing to stop them, those actions send a stronger message than the words. People will pay more attention to what you accept or ignore rather than what you claim is important. This idea can be applied in everyday life by making sure your actions align with your words. If you say kindness is important but let bullying happen around you without intervening, people will see that you don't really value kindness. To truly stand by your principles, you need to actively maintain standards and not allow behavior that goes against what you believe.