Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict

Introduction: What is the difference between giving and giving up? Silke Hansen of Community Relations Service talks about what it means to compromise.

This rough transcript provides a text alternative to audio. We apologize for occasional errors and unintelligible sections (which are marked with ???).

Compromise
Silke Hansen
Senior Conciliation Specialist, Community Relations Service

Interviewed by
Julian Portilla
2003

Sometimes compromise is necessary, but often it isn't. Often you can trade things that don't hurt yourself. That's why I talk about "giving" not "giving up." What are you contributing to the ultimate solution, rather than what you are giving up from what you want. How you frame it becomes very important.

War is, at first, the hope that one will be better off; next, the expectation that the other fellow will be worse off; then, the satisfaction that he isn't any better off; and, finally, the surprise at everyone's being worse off. -- Karl Kraus

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