Yitzhak Shamir Quotes

While we should never give up our principles, we must also realize that we cannot maintain our principles unless we survive.

Do not be too hard, lest you be broken; do not be too soft, lest you be squeezed.

The bow kept taut will quickly break, kept loosely strung, it will serve you when you need it.

No society ... can fail in time to explode if it is deprived of the arts of compromise .... No good society can be unprincipled and no viable society can be principle-ridden.

Better bow than break.

Lasting change is a series of compromises. And compromise is all right, as long your values don't change.

You can be stubborn and successful or you can give it up a bit and change things around. For me it's important to have a bit of both.

The trick to balance is to not make sacrificing important things become the norm.

For all your days be prepared, and meet them ever alike. When you are the anvil, bear - when you are the hammer, strike.

I've always said there is a boulevard that exists between compromising your principles and getting everything you want. Now, we should never compromise our principles. And I never have. Those are the things that people vote for you on, that's the core of who you are. But there's always a boulevard between that and getting everything you want.

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.

If someone is not happy with one thing we either tweak it until they're happy with it. We all know where that line is, where you have to be three hands up.

Parents walk a fine line between discipline and grace - values have to hold even when circumstances change or call for compromise or compassion. It's the ultimate challenge to be both firm and fluid, soft and strong, yielding yet rock solid.

You show people what you're willing to fight for when you fight your friends.

Steadfastness should net be confused with stubbornness.

I bend but do not break.

Having principles is important, but you don’t want to walk off a cliff with your principles.

The Congress has faced many difficult times in the past, much tougher than today. But we have never lost heart; we have repeatedly demonstrated our resilience by remaining committed to our vision, values, and the beliefs that have always sustained us.

Some people have their beliefs and what they think is right and wrong in a relationship.

You gain nothing from giving up.

We've tried to regulate things so that you at least get to go home at night and not have to pull all-nighters and see them on weekends and things. So, you know, like everything in life, it's a balance.

Be firm on principle but flexible on method.

What is strong and rigid is snapped and laid low. What is flexible and soft will always prevail.

Stubbornness is the strength of the weak.

The bow too tensely strung is easily broken.