The way to work with a bully is to take the ball and go home. First time, every time. When there’s no ball, there’s no game. Bullies hate that. So they’ll either behave so they can play with you or they’ll go bully someone else.

Godin frames bullying as a dynamic sustained by participation: the bully’s power depends on others continuing to “play.” The metaphor of taking the ball and going home emphasizes withdrawing the scarce resource the bully wants—attention, access, compliance, or engagement—rather than trying to out-argue or appease. “First time, every time” underscores consistency: intermittent resistance invites escalation and tests of boundaries. The quote also implies a strategic choice: remove yourself or your contribution so the bully must either adjust behavior to regain cooperation or seek an easier target. It’s a practical ethic of boundary-setting and noncooperation, applicable to workplaces, negotiations, and online interactions.