Bhagavad Gita Quotes: Handle Conflict

In a debate, seek truth, not victory.

Argue to understand, not to win.

Non-violence is the first sign of wisdom.

Ask: how would this feel if it were happening to me?

The best argument is the one that leaves everyone wiser.

Harm to a part is harm to the whole.

Be as quick to forgive as you would like others to be.

When you see the one root, the many branches stop being rivals.

Equal goodwill toward friend and foe is a sign of freedom.

Pause long enough to remember what you are protecting.

When you see how it all fits, quarrels grow quiet.

To see everyone inside one picture is to soften your judgments.

Even beings who disagree can look up at the same stars.

Treat friend and foe with the same steady dignity.

Harming another is a wound to the whole, and you are part of the whole.

To wound anyone is to forget how connected we are.

Be fair to everyone, even those who are not fair to you.

When all lives feel like your own, harm loses its appeal.

Seeing the shared origin softens every quarrel.

Win the inner argument and the outer ones grow easy.

Wish the best even for those who wish you harm.

Step between the two sides and see both.

Behind every position stands someone you have known.

Answer slander with steadiness, not with sharper words.

Look at the real faces before you choose your action.

To harm another is to forget who you are.

Every conflict has real people in it.

Remember who your opponents are to someone else.

Not every conflict needs a fight.

Naming the conflict honestly is the first step toward resolving it.

How would a steady mind handle your next hard conversation?

Seeing one life in all, how can you hate?

Intelligent opponents deserve accurate respect.

When you refuse to retaliate, you break a chain.

Respect is not the same as agreement.

Look deeper than who did what to whom.

Before you divide, remember what binds.

Do all your work as an offering, and keep your heart free of enmity.

What looks divided is one when seen from far enough.

What looks divided is one thing wearing many faces.

Meet friend and foe with the same open mind.

Let the sweep of time soften your grudges.

Face your hardest duty with steadiness, not with hatred.

Non-reaction is a form of strength.

Stand in the middle before you take a side.

Conflict is hardest where love already lives.

No rivalry outlasts the river of years.

Let go of the need to win every side.

Feel the anger fully, but do not let it drive.

Hold the same goodwill for the helper and the harmer.

Respect for people can collide with responsibility to principle.

The best answer to panic is a quiet voice.

Be fair to all sides, and let no side own you.

Even between two armies, a kind voice can be heard.

A sharp word costs more than a slow breath.

Not every slander deserves a reply.

Unity of understanding ends the war between paths.

Meet insult with composure and it loses its power.

Wise people disagree; the wiser ones listen.

Division is easy; understanding takes patience.

When both camps hold people you love, there is no easy win.

Protecting the innocent sometimes means opposing the harmful.

Whom do you think of as an enemy, and could you soften toward them?