Quotes about Tact
The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
— John Maxwell
Take the eighteenth-century general who had fallen into disfavor with the great Prussian warrior king, Frederick the Great. Coming upon the king, the general saluted him with the greatest respect, but Frederick turned his back. "I am happy to see that Your Majesty is no longer angry with me," murmured the general. "How so?" demanded Frederick. "Because Your Majesty has never in his life turned his back on an enemy," replied the general.
— William Ury
Dad had a way of disarming people because he never really directly attacked them. He might attack a principle, but he never attacked the individual.
— Martin Luther King III
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way. —Daniele Vare, Italian diplomat
— William Ury
You are never persuasive when you're abrasive.
— Rick Warren
Argument need not be heated; it can be punctuated with courteous smiles - or sympathetic tears.
— J. Sidlow Baxter
Frankness is not a license to say anything you want, wherever and whenever you want. It is not rudeness.
— Rick Warren
An ambassador seeks to speak the right thing in the best way.
— Timothy Lane
Truth is to be used as a scalpel, not a club.
— Matt Chandler
Is it not the best pity, when a man has a sore point, not to touch it at all?
— Victor Hugo
it is important to understand the purpose of criticism. Criticism is not meant to punish, but rather to correct something that is preventing better results. The only goal of criticism or discipline is improvement. You must keep that in mind and try to the best of your ability to use tact.
— John Wooden
Governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking.
— Lao Tzu