Carl B. Albert Quotes

We have to find compromises. That's the way it is in Norway.

The chairman of a committee should be in harmony with the majority who constitute it.

You don’t have to be confrontational of aggressive to get to where you want to be or get people to do what you want to do.

Compromise, compromise and compromise.

We need a lot more respect in this country for compromise…. There is in compromise a lot of integrity, especially political integrity.

In peace, as there is more time to spare, the leaders are expected to persuade the rank and file, instead of commanding them.

To get others to come into our ways of thinking, we must go over to theirs; and it is necessary to follow, in order to lead.

We don't pretend to disagree.

In politics, you must let the other person have your way.

I've learned that in order to achieve what I wanted, it made more sense to negotiate than to defend the autonomy of my work by pounding my fist on the table.

I choose to bring people together. I choose to seek compromise.

Reasonable, sensible men can always make a reasonable scheme appear such to other reasonable men.

Diplomacy is letting someone else have your way.

The main purpose of dialogue is to come to an agreement on how the two parties can work together, realize their mutual interests, and avoid conflict as much as possible

Negotiations can create conditions that can lead to solutions.

[Addressing Congress:] The people await action. They did not send us here to bicker ... Let us negotiate soon—and hard. But in the end, let us produce.

Encourage a readiness to find consensus.

Bipartisanship means you work together to work it out.

I want to prove that you can get things done without having everyone dislike you – ie acting like a politician.

Ultimately, peace depends on compromise.

A huge amount of negotiations and diplomacy has nothing to do with bartering or arguing but is just trying to get everyone [doing the negotiating] on the same page. It takes yours, days, even weeks sometimes.

By nature, I am a unifier. I am a builder of consensus. I don't believe in sloppy compromise. But I do believe in bringing people together.

You need people that are willing to talk to the other side, or you're never going to get anything done. You need to be willing to expand your ground. There's always usually a place on issues where you can find common ground.

I'm always ready to negotiate in good faith with others.

Good governance requires working toward common ground. It isn't easy.