Original script/version:

“Give an inch, and i’ll take a mile.”

James said he heard this quote from his high school Lacrosse coach. While at practice in his sophomore year, his coach was giving a talk on defensive positions when the phrase came up, “If you give an inch, I’ll take a mile.” In this context, he was referring to if you were even a little weak on defense, the offense would take advantage and attack even harder.

James thought this was an insightful proverb that could be a lot more effectively to everyday life than lacrosse. He said, “I was on the debate team in high school, I am surprised I never heard this throughout the course of being on the team. It is so true in debate. If you give even a little ground on your argument, your opponent will see it as a weakness and focus on that.”

I think it is obvious that this proverb has nothing to do with inches and miles, but the comparison of something big and something small. The proverb seems to most applicable to arguing or trading. For example, if in an argument, and one person admits to that there might be slightest truth in what the other person is claiming, their opponent gains a lot of credibility and will continue arguing with a new sense of power.