“Give Him an Inch… He’ll Take a Mile” (Palestinian–Jordanian dialect proverb) There were two brothers who lived in the same apartment building with their wives. Sarah was kind, organized, and never liked making anyone feel uncomfortable. Her sister-in-law, Nadia, on the other hand, always went to Sarah whenever she needed something. One day she said, “My washing machine is broken. Can I do my laundry at your place for just a couple of days?” Sarah smiled and said, “Of course. Make yourself at home.” Two days passed. Then a week. And Nadia was still coming over every single day to do her laundry. After that, she stopped asking altogether. She would open Sarah’s apartment door, walk in, and say, “I’m just going to throw in a quick load.” A while later, she even started bringing her sister’s laundry too. One day she told Sarah, “Since I’m already here, just wash my clothes together with yours. We’ll save water and electricity.” Sarah stayed quiet because she didn’t want to embarrass her. Then one morning, Sarah had already loaded the washing machine with her children’s school clothes before they left for a field trip. As usual, Nadia walked in and started the washing machine with her own laundry instead. When Sarah explained that she was in a hurry, Nadia casually replied, “Just wait a little. My load is almost done.” At that moment, their mother-in-law walked in and saw what was happening. She looked at Nadia and said, “Sarah let you use her washing machine for a couple of days—not act like it belongs to you.” She paused, then added, “Exactly… We gave her an inch, and she took a mile.” Nadia’s face turned bright red. For the first time, she realized she had never appreciated Sarah’s kindness. She had treated a favor as if it were her right. Meaning of the proverb “We gave him an inch, and he took a mile” is said when someone is offered a small favor or opportunity, but instead of appreciating it, they take advantage of the person’s kindness by asking for more and more, or by acting as though the favor has become their right.