«هَوِّبْ بِعَصَايْةِ الْعِز، وَلَا تِضْرَبْ بِهَا»

Power is most effective while it stays in reserve. The stick stands for authority; the advice is restraint in punishing, not physical force. Letting people see that you can punish keeps them cautious and compliant. Actually punishing uses up your heaviest sanction in a single move, and you gain nothing beyond that one blow.

If the punishment is carried out and still fails to change anyone's conduct, there is nothing more severe left to threaten. The dread that upheld your standing then disappears. Holding back protects both your ability to deter and the respect others feel.

Offered as counsel to someone who holds power over others, such as a parent, employer or leader, who is tempted to impose the harshest penalty. It urges them to warn and show what they could do while keeping the ultimate sanction unused.