when they go low, we go high
- idiom
- Informal
:
cuando ellos bajan, nosotros subimos
- Whenever she faced personal attacks during the campaign, she would say, "When they go low, we go high."
Examples
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It isn't always easy to remember when they go low, we go high in heated debates.
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At work, his motto was: when they go low, we go high, no matter the provocation.
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Remember when they go low, we go high!
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Let's follow when they go low, we go high.
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In difficult situations, I always try to remember that when they go low, we go high to keep my integrity intact.
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During the argument, she reminded everyone that when they go low, we go high to encourage a dignified response.
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My friend's advice is to live by the principle when they go low, we go high to avoid getting dragged into negativity.
Synonyms
22
5.9
To do the right thing and not respond angrily
Respond calmly and respectfully to an attack instead of fighting back
Antonyms
How Dignified
Surface Forms
Morphology
when + they + go + low, + we + go + high
The individual words and the contrastive structure ('they go low' vs 'we go high') give a clear clue that 'low' is being used metaphorically for bad or dishonourable behaviour and 'high' for dignified conduct, so a learner who knows the constituents can plausibly infer the basic idea 'if others behave badly, we behave well.' However, it is a conventionalized political/rhetorical slogan with pragmatic nuance about moral response and public behaviour that may not be fully predictable or natural for a B1 learner without exposure, so it is not fully transparent.
Etymology
The saying when they go low, we go high comes from a speech by Michelle Obama in 2016 and creates a clear picture: when others go low (act badly), you should go high (rise above them). So, it means 'to respond with dignity and not take revenge'.