Charles Stross Quotes

There is a point beyond which conciliation looks like capitulation. I do not believe I passed that point, but others have thought otherwise.

I try not to deal with people's hostility, though I must if they have something I need from them, as the professors did at Columbia or my landlord did.

I started to fight with the men. I raised my voice, and they started listening to me.

If there are sound reasons or bases for the points you demand, then there is no need for violence. On the other hand, when there is no sound reason that concessions should be made to you but mainly your own desire, then reason cannot work and you have to rely on force. Thus using force is not a sign of strength but rather a sign of weakness.

You get your freedom by letting your enemy know that you'll do anything to get it. Then you'll get it. It's the only way you'll get it.

So much for playing nice.Tired, I let my eyes shut while they argued, hoping I didn’t die in the interim and make the problem moot. I wasn’t ever going to get my water. Ever.

What Tully said of war may be applied to disputing: "It should be always so managed as to remember that the only true end of it is peace." But generally true disputants are like true sportsmen,--their whole delight is in the pursuit; and the disputant no more cares for the truth than the sportsman for the hare.

Look, I realize both of you could happily strangle each other across the table, but I don't think that's the most effective use of our time, and frankly, I don't think I have enough money to tip the waitress for that kind of clean-up. And look, here's lunch. Let's eat that instead of eachother.

Judith took a deep breath. "Aye, you captured Iain's wife," she said again. "But he married your daughter.

I'm not a mediator or a negotiator. I don't want to be one.

I don't have problems with nobody, period.

Nowadays, if you are afraid of confrontation, you are not going to do very well.

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.

You have to pick your battles on set.

I'm not a screamer. I'm confrontational, but I don't think that translates into anger.

People take things too personally - I don't. If someone says something about me, I let it go. But unfortunately, everyone isn't like that. So I'm trying to be more diplomatic - but people always want a headline from me!

I don't avoid confrontation, people should know that.

Next to coming to a good understanding with a new mistress, I love a quarrel with an old one.

You can't go to a negotiating table pointing a gun, but you've got to keep it over your shoulder.

You should not quarrel with your neighbour, for he will remain where he is, but your high handedness will become the talk of the people.

Particularly when you're dealing with very high ranking people, you know, you have to get their attention, they are used to, by their rank, of having their own way and doing their own thing and when it's necessary to all work together on something, sometimes you have to hit the mule between the eyes of the two by four to get its attention.

If we should come to an issue with the world, let us keep it off as long as possible.

Issuing an ultimatum is not negotiation.

To be a great leader, one unfortunately needs a war.

UN administrators ... think that no problem in the world is too intractable to be solved by negotiation. These mandarins fail to grasp that men with guns do not respect men with nothing but flapping gums ... Just as the US Marine Corps breeds warriors, so the UN’s culture breeds conciliators.