From compromise and things half done, Keep me with stern and stubborn pride; And when at read more

From compromise and things half done, Keep me with stern and stubborn pride; And when at last the fight is won, God, keep me still unsatisfied.

Real life is, to most men, a long second-best, a perpetual compromise between the ideal and the possible but the read more

Real life is, to most men, a long second-best, a perpetual compromise between the ideal and the possible but the world of pure reason knows no compromise, no practical limitations, no barrier to the creative activity.

The 'morality of compromise' sounds contradictory. Compromise is usually a sign of weakness, or an admission of defeat. Strong men read more

The 'morality of compromise' sounds contradictory. Compromise is usually a sign of weakness, or an admission of defeat. Strong men don't compromise, it is said, and principles should never be compromised.

Compromise is never anything but an ignoble truce between the duty of a man and the terror of a coward.

Compromise is never anything but an ignoble truce between the duty of a man and the terror of a coward.

Quality, quality, quality: never waver from it, even when you don't see how you can afford to keep it up. read more

Quality, quality, quality: never waver from it, even when you don't see how you can afford to keep it up. When you compromise, you become a commodity and then you die.

An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile--hoping it will eat him last.

An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile--hoping it will eat him last.

Once you consent to some concession, you can never cancel it and put things back the way they are.

Once you consent to some concession, you can never cancel it and put things back the way they are.

Compromise. Such an adjustment of conflicting interests as gives each adversary the satisfaction of thinking he has got what he read more

Compromise. Such an adjustment of conflicting interests as gives each adversary the satisfaction of thinking he has got what he ought not to have, and is deprived of nothing except what was justly his due.

Compromise used to mean that half a loaf was better than no bread. Among modern statesmen it really seems to read more

Compromise used to mean that half a loaf was better than no bread. Among modern statesmen it really seems to mean that half a loaf is better than a whole loaf.