Michel de Montaigne Quotes

Truth springs from argument amongst friends.

To disagree, one doesn't have to be disagreeable.

I don’t expect anyone to just sit there and agree with me, that’s not their job.

I want to encourage open conversation, which allows people to discuss issues and learn from each other.

I think it's important to have conversation about things instead of shutting things down.

Dialogue means debates and everyone's point of view.

I've led a school whose faculty and students examine and discuss and debate every aspect of our law and legal system. And what I've learned most is that no one has a monopoly on truth or wisdom. I've learned that we make progress by listening to each other, across every apparent political or ideological divide.

Be calm in arguing; for fierceness makes error a fault, and truth discourtesy.

The true spirit of conversation consists in building on another man's observation, not overturning it.

The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.

Hold on. It’s not a fight. It’s a discussion.

Public discussion demands at least the profession of good faith.

I once said that democracy is a discussion. But real discussion is only possible where men trust one another, and honestly seek the truth. Democracy is a conversation among equals, the thinking of free people open to complete publicity—the word "parliament" has a fine meaning, if only we could give it body!

We cannot learn from one another until we stop shouting at one another

The very essence of modern life is the opportunity for people everywhere to speak, hear, persuade, change their minds, know what others are thinking, and think for themselves.

We need the self-confidence to admit that at best we possess only a partial understanding of the truth, which can be enlarged by refining our views in light of new arguments, new circumstances and new insights. But this requires us to listen to others, to weigh their arguments with care, and maybe even to learn from them.

Somewhere in this we got into impugning people's character and motives if we didn't like their ideas. We gotta get back to just debating ideas.

A critical component of progress is engaging with people you don't agree with - everything else is the status quo.

I'm willing to sit down with anybody and have constructive criticism.

You can disagree without being disagreeable.

We must have real debates where disagreements exist, listen to each other, not shy away from ideas different from our own and treat people with respect.

How else are we going to get anywhere if we can't talk to each other?

The scarcest resource is not oil, metals, clean air, capital, labour, or technology. It is our willingness to listen to each other and learn from each other and to seek the truth rather than seek to be right

A conversation isn't a competition.

Listening to others, especially those with whom we disagree, tests our own ideas and beliefs. It forces us to recognize, with humility, that we don't have a monopoly on the truth.