Jim Mattis Quotes

We may disagree on some things, but we can do so without being disagreeable.

Our civilization is becoming less civil. You don’t have the right to demonize somebody just because they disagree with you.

Years ago on my radio show, I used to say, 'I'm a conservative, but I'm not in a bad mood about it.' I've always believed that civility in heavy doses is essential in self-government.

You have to be able to interact with people whose politics you disagree with.

Yeah, you can disagree with someone and still be cool - that's a thing!

That's something that the world needs to learn today: that you can disagree and still be friends.

It's a very important thing to learn to talk to people you disagree with.

If you have learned how to disagree without being disagreeable, then you have discovered the secrete of getting along - whether it be business, family relations, or life itself.

If I have my opinion about something, you have your opinion about something, we don't have to fight over it. And we can have a conversation. We can also disagree without being disagreeable, and we can just disagree, which is fine. It doesn't mean that I don't like you, or you don't like me. We just disagree.

Moral teaching should always be used as a gift and not a cudgel.... It is important that we all be able to share our moral viewpoints without hurting each other. That is what is wrong with political discourse today.

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.

The greatest respect you can give your political adversaries is to give them your undivided attention. If you want them to hear you, you have to be willing to hear them.

It is important in a democracy to respect contrary opinion without impugning the motives or maligning the character of ones opponents. To view it any other way is to encourage the same type of sickness in public life that leads to assassinations.

I think it's important to understand people can disagree on things, and still move forward.

I have disagreements with some and more agreements with others. But that doesn't mean I cannot listen to those I disagree with.

It really is possible to disagree with someone's policies without hating them. Grown-ups can do that.

Elected officials need to stop with the name calling and hateful statements.

You can disagree without being disagreeable. That's always been my mantra.

We all lose when bullying and personal attacks become a substitute for genuine conversation and principled disagreement.

It's always very important that you can completely disagree with someone, but it doesn't fundamentally mean that they are bad people.

I think that it's important to make criticisms of the government as a whole and criticisms of the policies, but to do so in a way that you can invite the individuals who maybe were on the opposition before, or who voted for somebody whom you are in disagreement with... that you open the door for a conversation with those people.

My father, for his part, was not a man to begrudge anyone a divergent opinion; he'd have been fine if I had written some articles disagreeing with his policies, or even given interviews, as long as I was respectful and civil.

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.

I enjoy being around people who disagree with me; and I enjoy being in non-political contexts and activities.

You can tell if someone is about social intercourse or just about browbeating somebody with their opinion. It's no fun arguing with a closed-minded person.