About this quote

Fighting hard for a cause and hating the people on the other side are two different things. The opponent is a mistaken deed to be corrected, never a person to be crushed, which keeps the door open for them to change their mind instead of digging in deeper.

When to use it

• During a tense union negotiation, treating management as partners in a shared problem rather than an army to defeat.
• In a custody dispute, refusing to paint the other parent as a villain in front of the children.
• Answering a hostile online critic by taking apart the argument and leaving their character alone.