If you treat people right they will treat you right... ninety

Hear now the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a leader who bore the burdens of a weary world: “If you treat people right they will treat you right… ninety percent of the time.” These words are not flattery nor naïve hope; they are the tempered wisdom of one who walked through fire, who led a nation through the Great Depression and the storm of war. They remind us that kindness and justice are mighty forces, but they are not sorcery. Most hearts respond to fairness with fairness, to mercy with mercy, yet there remains a fraction that will not. Roosevelt does not promise perfection—he offers truth.

The ancients too spoke of such balance. Did not the proverb say, “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you”? In all lands and all times, men have known that respect often breeds respect, and cruelty begets cruelty. Yet they also knew that not all souls are upright; some are corrupted, some are hardened, some repay good with evil. Roosevelt’s words reflect this same eternal law, but with the clear-eyed realism of a statesman: do good, and good will return to you—almost always, but not unfailingly.

Consider the story of Abraham Lincoln, who, even amidst bitter enemies, chose the path of honor. He treated his rivals with dignity, even appointing them to positions of power in his cabinet. Many returned his grace with loyalty, for they saw in him a man of fairness. Yet not all responded in kind; some mocked him, others betrayed him. Still, Lincoln’s greatness endured, for he lived by the higher principle of treating others rightly, whether or not they did the same. His life echoes Roosevelt’s wisdom: goodness is not guaranteed to return, but it is almost always answered in kind, and it is worth the risk.

Roosevelt himself lived these words. Leading America through dark years, he extended compassion to the suffering, offering hope where despair reigned. Millions responded with loyalty and faith, believing in his vision. Yet there were also critics, even enemies, who spurned his efforts and repaid kindness with scorn. Still, Roosevelt understood: ninety percent was enough. To treat people rightly was to unlock the best in most, and the strength of the many outweighed the betrayal of the few.

So, O seekers of wisdom, the teaching is this: do not harden your heart because of the ten percent who fail you. Do not abandon goodness because some repay it with cruelty. If you treat people right, the world will answer you in kind more often than not. That margin of betrayal must be borne with courage, for it is the price of walking in the light. Better to risk disappointment and keep your honor than to descend into suspicion and lose your soul.

Practical wisdom lies before you. Speak to others with respect, even when it costs you pride. Act with fairness in judgment, even when the world tempts you to take advantage. Expect not perfection in return, but hold to the knowledge that most will mirror the way you treat them. Prepare yourself also for the rare betrayal, and when it comes, let it not sour your heart. For your integrity is greater than their treachery.

Therefore, let Roosevelt’s words be written in your memory: kindness is not a weapon to control others, but a path to harmony and trust. Ninety percent of the time, it will return to you as blessing; the other ten percent is the trial by which your character is tested. Stand firm, do right, and walk forward. In this way, your life shall gather loyalty, friendship, and honor, far outweighing the shadows cast by betrayal.