Lao Tzu Quotes

Strong men know when to compromise.

I shall argue that strong men, conversely, know when to compromise and that all principles can be compromised to serve a greater principle.

Better bow than break.

A diplomat should be yielding and supple as a liana that can be bent but not broken

By fighting you never get enough, but by yielding you get more than you expected.

Things change. There has to be flexibility. Let me give you an example. President Xi, we have a, like, a really great relationship. For me to call him a currency manipulator and then say, “By the way, I'd like you to solve the North Korean problem,” doesn't work. So you have to have a certain flexibility, Number One. Number Two, from the time I took office till now, you know, it's a very exact thing. It's not like generalities.

It's a necessary quality of a diplomat or a politician that he will compromise. Uncompromising politicians or diplomats get you into the most terrible trouble.

I seem to smell the stench of appeasement in the air.

When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way.

Give way to your opponent; thus will you gain the crown of victory.

The greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender.

You know, you pick and choose your battles.

Let no one think that flexibility and a predisposition to compromise is a sign of weakness or a sell-out.

Politics is compromise.

The thing is: in order to reach an agreement, to reach that balance, sometimes it is sort of like that old Rhinestone Cowboy lyric, 'There'll be a load of compromisin' on the road to my horizon.' For those of you who were too young, or don't recall the song, made famous by country singer Glen Campbell, it is your loss.

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

Everything is negotiable. Whether or not the negotiation is easy is another thing.

If a man can beat you, walk him.

Diplomacy is letting someone else have your way.

The secret of America is compromise. Compromise is a sign of weakness in any other country. In America it is a great strength.

Yielding is sometimes the best way of succeeding.

Persistence in one opinion has never been considered a merit in political leaders.

A ruler must learn to be other than good.

He who is strong, concedes.

Those who do not yield to their equals, who keep terms with their superiors, and are moderate towards their inferiors, on the whole succeed best.