Sydney J. Harris Quotes

Be calm in arguing; for fierceness makes error a fault, and truth discourtesy.

Soft words and hard arguments.

Don't beg, don't threaten and don't assume you're always right.

Sometimes you need conflict in order to come up with a solution. Through weakness, oftentimes, you can't make the right sort of settlement, so I'm aggressive, but I also get things done, and in the end, everybody likes me.

Well, you can't argue with somebody that won't argue back.

The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.

The most important thing that certainly the United States and other Asian and Pacific actors have done is to urge that whatever happens, however the dispute is resolved, that it be resolved peacefully.

It is an excellent rule to be observed in all disputes, that men should give soft words and hard arguments; that they should not so much strive to vex as to convince each other.

There is only one way under high heaven to get the best of an argument—and that is to avoid it.

Never corner an opponent, and always assist him to save his face.

We can argue and we can disagree, but we don’t need to poke our fingers in each other’s eyes in order to get our points across.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve got the right side of the argument, it just matters whether you have the right ear.

I have tried to treat people on the other side civilly and look for common ground.

Often, just explicitly acknowledging how the other side must see things can help them open up to see your side and can help both parties achieve a fair and constructive outcome.

If you lose an argument it doesn't mean you change your mind but you have to accept the decision.

Let the other person save face.

That most dangerous of opponents: the one who took pains to comprehend the position of his adversary.

Engagement is not appeasement. Engagement is not surrender.

A peace deal requires agreements, and you don't make agreements with your friends, you make agreements with your enemies.

We need to in this country begin again to raise civil discourse to another level. I mean, we shout and scream and yell and get very little accomplished, but you can disagree very much with the next guy and still be friends and acquaintances.

Number one, that it is smart to communicate and negotiate with your enemy instead of just waging war with bombs and weapons of mass destruction.

Negotiating in the classic diplomatic sense assumes parties more anxious to agree than to disagree.

There are two types of people: those who try to win and those who try to win arguments. They are never the same.

Campaigns often make standing on principle the highest of virtues - and listening to your opponents a sure sign of weakness. It's the virtual opposite of what it takes to succeed in office. Squaring the circle takes a powerful combination of skills. But presidents who can campaign and compromise are generally the most successful.

I have tried to maintain civil relationships with everyone I meet - and, even if I violently disagree with them, try to be respectful.