Obama: "Better to be strong yourself. Always"

A student came to me and BEGGED for additional marks. Not because I had made an error in my marking, but because I should have compassion. I told them that I teach and assess this way because I wanted them to be a stronger professional. But what do I mean by "strong"?

This quote from Obama's autobiography sums it up:

"My stepfather Lolo said, “Men take advantage of weakness in other men. They’re just like countries in that way. The strong man takes the weak man’s land. He makes the weak man work in his fields. If the weak man’s woman is pretty, the strong man will take her.

Which would you rather be? Better to be strong. If you can’t be strong, be clever and make peace with someone who’s strong. But always better to be strong yourself. Always.”

Source: Dreams from My Father, by Barack Obama, p. 37 Aug 1, 1996