T.I. Quotes

Businesses that run well are almost like marriages. Everything has to be up for discussion, or there will be real problems.

In a way, sometimes collaborating is more difficult because you have to listen.

We have to build a political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own ... in order to create this common ground.

If the auto plants in Detroit would just sit around the table and say, 'What do we gotta do to make this thing work?' Instead of, 'I want this and I want that.' They might make it.

You learn how to compromise and you learn how to read each other. Honestly, being in a band with two guys has prepared me so much for when it's time for me to get married!

You get nothing done if you don't listen to each other.

Compromise works well in this world when you have shared goals.

You cannot compromise unless people talk to you.

One thing I learned particularly at Yale was how to work with others. Having studied so long trying to master myself, the biggest challenge was learning about the other person's work.

I believe any time that both parties are talking, it's a good thing.

What I've learned - after working for, I guess, some time now - is when you're approaching a relationship like that, like, any working relationship, it's good to be open. To know that someone might have a different way of doing things and listen to them. And hopefully, you come to a common understanding.

Diplomacy is listening to what the other guy needs. Preserving your own position, but listening to the other guy. You have to develop relationships with other people so when the tough times come, you can work together.

Life is about compromise - in relationships and at work.

I believe the answers to most problems that confront us around the world can and should be approached by engaging both friend and foe in dialogue. No, I don't naively think that dialogue always works, but I believe we should avoid the rigidity of saying that dialogue never works.

Choose the path of dialogue rather than the path of unilateral decisions.

Heck, nobody gets along perfectly. But what we have is respect for one another. We have a system where one guy can veto anything.

Our mission and task has always been to find a pragmatic balance among competing interests that will serve the greatest common good.

I like to exchange ideas because we all want to win. If a footballer doesn't agree, then you try and have a chat to work things out.

Interactions - whether personal or business, teacher-student, friend to friend, or family member - all call for balance, respect, and compassion.

How else are we going to get anywhere if we can't talk to each other?

What people generally tell you is, "We'll all agree," and then once you sign, they expect to get their own way. I think it was a bit of a surprise that I was still very headstrong even after signing. I wasn't so happy to get a deal that I would agree to anything. In fact, I disagreed on most things and got my way on most things, which I think was to all of our benefit. But they wanted the record to come out, and I wanted the record to come out, so we had to work together.

We have to build a political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own turf in order to create this common ground.

You need to be able to agree from time to time if we're going to get anywhere. Once you have started a civil dialogue, it's a much smoother road to compromise. The key thing to remember is it's a daily practice.

To have compromise you must first have dialog. That is the true path of democracy.

I haven't given up on working... across the aisle on issues and maybe it'll take an election or two for that to fully ferment, maybe it you know sometimes it takes awhile for people to realize what the best path is.