Hardness-Softness

There is a homely adage which runs: 'Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far'. (Theodore Roosevelt)

The bitter and the sweet come from the outside, the hard from within, from one's own efforts. (Einstein)

What was hard to bear is sweet to remember. (Portuguese proverb)

Harsh words can be a medicine; gentle words encourage illness. (Chinese proverb)