Keep in mind, hurting people often hurt other people as a result of their own pain. If somebody is rude and inconsiderate, you can almost be certain that they have some unresolved issues inside. They have some major problems, anger, resentment, or some heartache they are trying to cope with or overcome. The last thing they need is for you to make matters worse by responding angrily.

Osteen frames everyday rudeness as a symptom rather than a cause: people who lash out are often acting from hidden wounds—anger, resentment, grief, or unresolved conflict. The practical moral counsel is to interrupt the cycle of harm by refusing to retaliate. Instead of meeting hostility with hostility, the listener is urged to respond with restraint and empathy, recognizing that escalation only deepens the other person’s pain and spreads it outward. The quote reflects a common theme in contemporary pastoral self-help: emotional self-control is both spiritually virtuous and socially effective, because it protects one’s own peace while leaving room for healing rather than further damage.