Henry George Bohn Quotes

Soft words and hard arguments.

You need diplomacy and not slogans. This is the place for wisdom, the place for seeking windows that will take you to the objective.

Obama's stern demeanor punctuated by intermittent flashes of his wide, relaxing smile is his greatest weapon in defusing pent-up angst.

Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one's ability to persuade.

Tact is the ability to make a person see lightning without letting him feel the bolt.

Diplomacy is the art of telling plain truths without giving offense.

Potency does not mean being unnecessarily aggressive; one has to be wise.

I think sometimes you have to handle things delicately at work or at home. You know, you can find yourself in situations that are like opening a closet filled with bowling balls that are going to fall out of it, but if you handle things graciously, then that's not going to happen.

If criticism is needed, do it tactfully. Don't use a sledgehammer when a fly swatter will do the job.

I've long believed that if you understand how conversational styles work, you can make adjustments in conversations to get what you want in your relationships.

Always remember that your calmness under fire is your best defense in any argument or discussion.

It may sound like showing off, but I am good in communications and in creating harmony.

Emotions aren't the obstacles to a successful negotiation; they are the means.

If you let things devolve into a shouting match, then it's really difficult to have a discussion, a serious discussion.

I wanted to be a hostage negotiator.

A wise man knows when to go 'head and back off so you gotta pick and choose your fights. I know how to pick and choose.

I have a temperament that doesn't adapt well to politics. It's because I speak my mind so much.

I learned how to defend myself at the OSB, not physically but with words.

Bill Kenwright has taught me how to deal with people.

I know the pros and cons of not being diplomatic.

A skilled diplomat rarely generates extreme reactions.

Never argue when you're winning.

Whenever you're wrong, admit it; Whenever you're right, shut up.

When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and a true maxim, that 'a drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.'

Raised voices lower esteem. Hot tempers cool friendships. Loose tongues stretch truth. Swelled heads shrink influence. Sharp words dull respect.