Quote by Russell Lynes
The only gracious way to accept an insult is to ignore it; if you can't ignore it, top it; if you can't top it, laugh at it; if you can't laugh at it, it's probably deserved.
Summary
This quote highlights the different approaches one can take in response to an insult. The author suggests that the most graceful way to handle an insult is to simply ignore it and not let it affect you. However, if ignoring it isn't possible, then one can try to respond with a witty comeback to surpass the insult. If that fails too, then the quote advises finding humor in the insult and laughing it off. Finally, if someone is unable to laugh at the insult, it implies that the insult might hold some truth and could be deserved.