“Injuries ought to be done all at one time, so that, being tasted less, they offend less.”Niccolò Machiavelli · Principele · 1532 · capitolul 3
One wound gets forgotten; small repeated wounds pile up into hatred.
Repeated pain, however small, erodes patience and constantly recalls the offender. A single blow, however harsh, can be digested and then forgotten. A government that raises taxes once, sharply, survives; one that hikes them every year breeds cumulative fury. Psychology agrees: sudden losses are metabolized, drip-fed ones poison.
Why it matters In relationships and management: if bad news is unavoidable, deliver it once, in full. Drip-feeding turns one hard moment into a regime of torment.