“He who treads softly goes far.”
~Chinese Proverb
Human Relations Principle #14: Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.
(“The secret of Socrates.”)
(This is the fourteenth in a series of articles where I will encapsulate each of Dale Carnegie’s timeless, life-changing principles for dealing with people. (Adapted from How to Win Friends and Influence People.))*
It doesn’t pay to argue. It is much more profitable and much more interesting to look at things from the other person’s viewpoint and try to get that person saying “yes, yes.”
In talking with people, don’t begin by discussing things on which you differ. Begin by emphasizing—and keep on emphasizing—the things on which you agree. Keep emphasizing, if possible, that you are both striving for the same end and that your only difference is one of method and not of purpose.
The skillful speaker, salesperson and politician gets, at the outset, a number of “Yes” responses. This is the psychological process of moving the listener in the affirmative direction.

Abe Lincoln said, “If a man’s heart is rankling with discord and ill feeling toward you, you can’t win him to your way of thinking with all the logic in Christendom. Scolding parents and domineering bosses and husbands and nagging wives ought to realize that people don’t want to change their minds. They can’t be forced or driven to agree with you or me. But they may possibly be led to, if we are gentle and friendly, ever so gentle and ever so friendly.”
“By fighting you never get enough, but by yielding you get more than you expected.”
“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it within himself.”
“If you argue and rankle and contradict, you may achieve a victory sometimes;
“Every man I meet is my superior in some way.
Make yourself agreeable to earn the interest of others.
Successful business interaction is not a mystery. Nothing is so praiseworthy and important as paying exclusive attention to the person who is speaking to you.
“Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices.”
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”