Never[enter] into dispute or argument with another. I never yet saw an instance ofone of two disputants convincing the other by argument. I have seen many ontheir getting warm, becoming rude and shooting one another.
No onecan persuade another to change. Each of us guards a gate of change that canonly be opened from the inside. We cannot open the gate of another, either byargument or emotional appeal.
Therecan be no doubt that the average man blames much more than he praises. Hisinstinct is to blame. If he is satisfied he says nothing; if he is not, hemost illogically kicks up a row.
Neverforget the power of silence, that massively disconcerting pause which goes onand on and may at last induce an opponent to babble and backtrack nervously.
