It costs more to revenge injuries than to bear them

It costs more to revenge injuries than to bear them.

A restaurant mixes up your booking and refuses to return your deposit. You get angry, see a solicitor, he threatens to sue, they pay up then he sends you a bill for more than the original amount. Neighbours in boundary disputes often find themselves in costly litigation for little or no gain. Not worth the candle.

This saying is telling us to at least consider putting up with a slight or small damage or "grin and bear it" if the cost of dealing with it outweighs the gain. However, there is a problem with this attitude because your aggressor, if they decides that your lack of retaliation is a sign of weakens, will simply torment you further. This is the classic behaviour of the bully.

So it all boils down to a judgement call - you can save yourself a lot of bother by putting up with an injury, but if you decide the perpetrator needs a lesson be very careful how you go about it.