We were having a conversation in French, and I was wondering how I'd express the same idea in Russian.
Tu es sans pitié, dis-moi... En même temps, elle n’aurait pas autant envie de nous rattraper si on n’était que douceur avec elle.
{literally}: You give her no quarter. Then again, if we were nothing but sweetness/gentleness towards her, (she would just content herself with the current 'her' without looking to improve herself and) she wouldn't be so keen on catching up with us.
{more naturally}: You give her no quarter. Then again, if we were treating her with kid gloves all the time, she wouldn't be so keen on catching up with us.
The context is: "In training the residents at our hospital, we can't afford to be constantly indulgent and lenient towards them, as if we don't have an ounce of strictness in us. Little pep talks here and there wouldn't go amiss."
"Строить/изображать из себя (саму) любезность" sprang to mind as its Russian equivalent. But I wonder if this is closer to "be all sweetness and light"? – which is used when someone behaves in an overly pleasant and friendly manner that doesn't seem genuine.
How is this idea commonly/idiomatically expressed in Russian?