In Search Of Compromise: A Moment With Bill Reflection

Haven't been able to view the video as I am still without that ability on my computer, but this hub gets my applause. I think we are at a crossroads that cries out we should be seeking a higher plateau. Wonderful hub. Good work. :)

Good evening Bill.

Hope that your Thanksgiving celebration won't be spoiled by my comment to this of your most needed lesson to humanity. So many excellent comments has been made , what a display of excellent writers. My question though would be , how can compromise be feasible when system is enforcing wrong as right, evil as good, lie as truth ? And a winner is: the one with more military power. Rather than learn from historical facts, history is being rewritten and in many cases denied possibility that Cain has murdered his own brother as a self-imposed compromise.

You my friend have heart of mercy and grace always submitting the best of the system ," Neither of us is right and neither of us is wrong; we simply disagree on the best way to achieve the common good." sounds like desire of every good honest and moral heart… What about the performance elected officials ? Any mirror with minimum dignity reflection will cause massive resignation everyone daring to look straight into own face.

As the righteous indignation has burst in my soul I reach after Dictionary to get some better insight what actually compromise is : "a concession to something detrimental or pejorative; to make a dishonorable or shameful concession;" compromising is telling me, " is to expose or make vulnerable to danger, suspicion, scandal, etc." ( Do not evidence prove it ?)

One of the commentator said it the best :"Compromise? Hell no!

Please , do not start trowing stones at me, I am bit slow learner of this complicated though beautiful English language. I believe in " humanity " with face - the undefiled face… the same time I believe in universal justice , ( works independently of my belief)- in this orbit " someone" has put it there and it will never conk out.

Voted awesome, beautiful and useful.

Good night and God bless you.

Compromise seems to be easier to reach among people from other countries, as they seem to be more familiar with negotiation. Many Americans don't have that skill. We certainly get more information if we try to see each other's point of view.

Your lessons are well taken Bill. Always things to consider and think over. Passing this on.

Thanks for another amazing lesson, Bill!

How nice it is so be so blessed!! Thanks for the Angels and hug and right back to you both...have a lovely evening..

It just makes so much sense, Bill....why can't we just all get along, in the words of Rodney King...it would just be a wonderful thing...

I love love loved the video about love and my heart went flip flop when Bev said back to you 'i love you.' How adorable is she...

Keep on keeping on my friend and know the Angels are right there with you both :D ps

You ask for compromise. Only one side turns from it. Yet, you dont acknowledge. I find this hard to understand. Also, I thought you had referenced spitting in the wind, which is why I said it.

No answer? Par for the course. you have chosen a side then. Ok for repubs, not allowed for dems.

Compromise is an art, Bill, and from what I see and hear on a daily basis it is an art form that appears to be declining - particularly among our elected representatives.

Loved your hook, excuse me, introduction, y'know.

"This isn't a Republican problem anymore than it is a Democratic problem"

Then why was Bush given time to make his right, and Obam is labeled a failure before it even starts?

It's ALL about who's in power: and until you admit who it is....YOU are spitting in the wind! IMO

Bill,

I have voted in every election since I turned 18. I was taught that it was through exercising our right to vote was one of the ways in which we can bring about change, but as you so wisely point out, if the candidates/winners are not willing to participate in the art of compromise, nothing really changes. How I wish there were more folks like yourself who are willing to listen to opposite views and be respectful in the process. Wishing for more folks like you were willing to run for office and actually BE a Voice interested in COMPROMISE. Excellent hub my friend.

Kim

Ah, yes, compromise, I know it well ... for I have been married 35 years : )

Any one of us could be homeless at any given time in our lives, and so can that very man, whether he realizes it or not, and the point is ... compassion in our hearts for our fellow human being.

I am wondering if the US is "The Great Prostitute" that is written of in God's Word, the Holy Bible, for we have become a nation that seems to have sold out. If we take a hard look at our Nation, as far as the greed and all else combined ... makes one wonder for sure.

Blessings,

Faith Reaper

In Search Of Compromise: A Moment With Bill Reflection leaders think differently and do things as they wish. You have created another well informed hub and lots to ponder on here.

This is serious. I get angry too, when I see people cheering over lies they are being told--for the money. As for that self-proclaimed judge on the plight of the homeless, we don't know his mental condition. Bill, you speak to our hearts/consciences. Thank you.

Another great hub Billy and I also compromise when someone is of a different opinion to mine. However in years gone by I would have given in without a fight to agree for a quiet world but hope that today I will always be judicious .

Even though we live in different nations there is not the world of difference in which our country leaders think and go about their way.

Up, across and shared Billy my dear friend and thank you for once again leaving much food for thought. Lots of love from Wales.

Eddy.

There was a book entitled "The Art of War." Why is there not one on The Art of Compromise? Why do today's citizens of the world feel like if they do not get their way, they lose?

Once, while working as a manager for WalMart, I went to a three day Management Training Course. There were around fifty of us in this class and we were occasionally broken into groups of roughly seven for an exercise. This one was a very simple exercise: each group had a card that was red on one side, blue on the other. A sheet of paper was handed out to each group detailing how you were to make money. If one group turned blue and the others red, you made so much mney. For each number, there was a corresponding dollar amount ranging from $1,000 down to -$200. The point was to make as much money for all concerned as was possible. I was not the leader of the group but I understood the thrust of the lesson perhaps better than most.

If every group turned red, everyone made money. No other order made everyone money but that one: so we turned red. Time and again, we turned red. No one turned red every single time but us.

Finally, the teacher took us out into the hallway to speak with our group. She demanded to know why we continued to turn red. The rest of the group looked to me so I explained. The stern look disappeared, and she smiled. "You are the only ones who understand this exercise. For EVERYONE to make money, EVERYONE must turn red. Let's go give it another try."

So back we went. She asked every group to turn their cards and we stood alone once more as red. The other groups laughed at us. Finally, the instructor cut them off and let them know (in no uncertain terms) that our group was the only group who understood the art of compromise. If each group turned red, everyone would win by making money.

They did not understand. It was what was good for them, not for everyone else.

That is where the world is today. What's in it for me, not for the greater good. It saddens me that human nature has fallen so far as to desire to stand upon others rather than lift them up.

Once again Bill, you strike swift and sure to the heart of the matter. Compromise: caring more for others than one's self so that all may benefit. Well done Kind Sir. Well done. Excellent work here.

Please give my kindest regards to Bev and your family and many Holiday Blessings to you, my dear friend.

Well done. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your hub. You made some great points and very true. I voted up, useful, awesome and interesting along with liking, pinning and tweeting.

Thank you for this. Near the end, I was the "last word". A lot of responsibility.

I agree with old poolman, clean house, limit terms, insist our elected officials are working for ' the common good ' I would like to see a third party run, both the Dems and Rep have forgotten the people. We have the power to clean house but will we? Great hub Bill.

Very profound. The politicians fight and name call and point fingers, but then the media (which was supposed to be an objective entity) takes side and fuels it, and then people do the same thing in spades, applauding the media and the politicians who do it, so the politicians and the media do it more. It's only going to stop when we 'little people' refuse to participate in the mudslinging, and refuse to accept it from either side (instead of stepping back quietly with mouths closed when it happens to come from those we agree with, and only blame those we don't agree with for doing it). It's a real mess, hopefully it'll change one day.

Bill, you had me worried there for a moment, great hook and another very interesting read. Politicians don't know the meaning of the word compromise, their greedy eyes are on the whole pie, to compromise is to agree to share, and they don't do share... it's winner takes all and to hell with the weak and the poor. Maybe the next generation will see things differently.

mylindaelliott - That is the point exactly. We can hardly expect them to accomplish anything when all they do is fight like little children. It is long past time to fire and replace most of them. We then need to let their replacements know we will no longer tolerate this type behavior from our elected representatives.

We will never get them to agree to term limits, so we make our own term limits by not reelecting any of them that are not doing the job we pay them to do. Until we eliminate or reduce the blind party loyalty nothing will ever change.

Although I agree with your points, I don't see a way for the people in Congress to compromise. They seem to be doing anything they can to undermine each other in any way they can. Both sides do it while professing that they are following the rules and trying to work together. It's so frustrating.

It is relatively easy to make decisions when it won't affect them personally. It is only when we get close to election time that any of them seem to care what the citizens think.

I doubt they are willing to risk not getting reelected no matter how much that lobbyist offers them in the way of a bribe.

Those who are the most vocal are usually the one's who have been hurt the most from stupid political decisions. There is also a great deal of misinformation circulating that can needlessly make someone quite angry.

Perhaps one day we will have a President who can actually get our elected clowns to work together and solve some problems.

I find it really sad when someone can't discuss with another who disagrees without becoming aggressive. Anger and disdain mean a person isn't really listening or trying to understand. Putting oneself in someone else's shoes is a technique our politicians would do well to consider more often. They don't listen, they don't try to go beyond their opinions and their already 'set in stone' policies. Compromise means peace and harmony which is so good for us all. Great stuff! Ann

That was some hook of an introduction!

I think too many people are addicted to the fighting to ever compromise. It's like their lives depend on it, and the anonymity of the internet makes it that much easier to get their daily dose of drama. I'm with you, though: I'd rather see problems solved than go 'round and 'round about who has the right answers.

Bill, in my opinion the blind party loyalty is the root cause of many of our current problems. Many politicians are forced to vote with their team rather than their head. I think we would see a great deal more compromise if the party loyalty would just go away.

It seems more credit is given to the team that wins the most battles regardless of what damage this "win" will do to the citizens of this country.

There really are at least a few really smart, talented, and experienced people in Washington. The problem is this talent and knowledge can't be used if it would violate the rules their team has set for them.

Just think how great it would be if this talent could be used constructively to solve some of our problems. But that will never happen as long as the main objective is scoring points for their own team.

Perhaps we should require them to change teams every couple years and demand they vote with their head instead of their uniform. We would do that right after we put a bounty on all lobbyists.

Amen. Jamie

Well spoken. My sentiments exactly. I'm tired of the misguided fanatics on both political extremes. People treat politics as if it were religion and they are putty in the hands of the "prostitute" lawmakers. Fanaticism of any color is what we really should protect ourselves against. Great hub!

Billy, you hit the nail here on so many topics.

First, I almost snorted tea out of my nose at the first line in your Hub! LOL

The gentlemen who you were able to have an intelligent conversation with is refreshing. I can say from experience, it's never been that easy for me.

A couple of weeks ago I sat on an executive committee meeting in which I was invited to attend. It was about children with special needs and parental rights. Well, low and behold, there were two arguments. I was on the side of a child with Autism. The other two were on the side of a child with Down Syndrome. You would think, all being parents of children with special needs, that we face similar situations and can compromise for the greater good. Not so. I doubt I'll ever be invited back to a meeting because I'm a no BS type of person and say it like it is. I'll even spell it if that's what it takes. They were only interested in one thing only, while I brought up valid issues that concern all children with special needs. It was a no-win compromise situation, the other two only being out for themselves.

It sickens me too. Today, I had a struggle with something. I had to go to run errands. I live in a military town. There are a lot of wounded vets here living in subsidized housing. A man, with no legs, sat in a wheelchair trying to cross the street. It's a wide two lane road, one lane each way. The man could not get across. I wanted to stop, get out of my vehicle, and cross with him. But there was no crosswalk. There was no safe way to cross. I would have taken a chance of getting hit by another car. So I kept driving while watching the man sit on the curb in his wheelchair.

What people don't know about this situation and why it would impact my life at that moment is because I have fought for years with the town officials to do something better for our elderly, children, and handicap people that live here. There is a lack of crosswalks. There is a lack of safe routes for children. There is a telephone pole in the middle of a sidewalk near where a disabled man in a wheelchair lives by my house. How is he supposed to wheel down the sidewalk?

The town was given millions years ago to fix the problem in this town. For years they have talked about fixing it up and getting it safer for walkers and bicyclists. But it never happens. I have made phone calls, wrote letters, walked the streets holding a make shift sign on an old mop handle. People threw garbage at me.

And the homeless population here has exploded. 20 years ago there was one homeless man named Tom Fish. He was a brilliant man. He went crazy. He chose to live on the streets. They would pick him up in the ambulance, and he wanted to go right back to his garbage can route.

But that's not the case for many today. There are families living in cars with their children. There was a case recently where a woman was homeless and sent her child to a school every day. The town arrested the woman for "illegally entering her child in a school district other than her last known residence". Last I heard, she is in jail. Where's the justice!

I've stopped my car on many occasions. I've offered a ride, water, food, shelter, and clothing. Most of the homeless here are too prideful to accept anything for free. They want to work for it. They want to be paid in food to work.

Ok, rant over. I've said enough for now. Thanks for writing this and letting me share my own experiences Billy!

Well my friend once again you have me agreeing with you. In order to make compromise possible you have to understand the other sides position. As a history and poly sci junkie I read almost every and anything I can get my mind around. It goes from Glenn Beck and others on the conservative libertarian side to reading the International Socialist Review along with Zinn and Chomsky. I really believe that helps me to better form my own understanding of issues and come to my own working position on issues. Yes it totally blows people away when they see our library at home. I know they think I must be schizo and who knows they may be correct in that assessment. All to many though are so myopic they can only see the issue from a very narrow aperture. It's like those who only watch Fox news and or M.S.N.B.C. It comes down to preaching to the choir. Well if there is to be any harmony within the choir there has to be at least a civil level of listening to the other's position. As you well know given todays culture I fear for the future of our republic. I would say democracy but we abandoned that one a long time ago along with the Constitution. That though is a rant for another time. Don't take this the wrong way but the math on the Obama care roll out only comes out to a dollar per person. As always take care my friend and yet another post well worth the read.

THE COMMON GOOD! Oh where has it gone? Compromise is the name of the game. I always told my children that's why there is vanilla and chocolate, not everyone has the same tastes but we need to live with the vanilla lovers and let them eat what they like. Both have to come to an agreement that makes everyone happy...maybe not overly joyful, but happy with their joint decision.

You are the tops, your comparison with the prostitutes who show their honesty and the prostitutes in Congress is spot on.

Voted up, useful, awesome, and very interesting.

I wonder how much it cost to implement Medicare prescription drug bill?

Dems hated it, but compromised once Bush got it passed.

I wonder why Bush was given a year to get it right, and this ridiculous "train-wreck", and "disaster" propaganda is all the rage now with Obamacare?

Seems like we Americans compromise plenty when it's a Republican president.

I mean, it really took years for them to get that right-- at a huge boon to big pharma.

But it never seems to work the other way around, when Dems want compromise.

I think the solution is simple too......single payer.

How can we compromise with that idea?

Oh yeah......ACA.

Done and done.

Bill, another great article. But, you know me, I am going to have to put my two cent in.

People are more educated than they were 100 years ago. We get the news as it happens via TV, radio and newspapers. These three listed news givers are also powerful players in the political game. Each of the

three may give a slanted twist to the same story. We do not know who to believe.

Sadly, power and money can change a person's integrity, all too easily. There seems to be no guilt when spending exorbitant amounts of money, when it is not your own money. And, the lines of moral fiber must be terribly easy to cross when in a different country.

When speaking of cutting costs, why do they target the welfare recipients and senior citizens? Why not cut the salaries and pensions of those

who give themselves cost of living raises for life? Why not insist that those who have given us oboma care must live with oboma care. How is it that they get an insurance coverage that covers all and it does NOT cost them a dime for the rest of their lives?

Who is to say that we, too, would not be tempted to receive a 200.00 man's hair cut if we were not the ones paying for it! Perspective powers

are easily lost in a "Yes sir, world". The value of a dollar is lost when it is not your dollar that you are spending. And, compromise is lost when

one sees no need to compromise.

It is those of us who still have our pulse on the state of humanity that feel a desperate need to make things better.

Most of the heads of power, in Washington, live in a different stratosphere. They do not relate to homelessness, sick & lonely elderly,

or the man who lost his job due to outsourcing. They cannot relate to the family who lost their home and are living on the streets.

They do not understand that the Middle East has been at war since Biblical times, and have no intension of resolving anything to live peacefully. Yet, we are still sending our young men and women into

a war that has been going for over 10 years!

Compromise? Hell no! I am ready for some common sense to come to the forefront. I think compromise is what got us in to this social-economical blunder that we are in. It is time someone stood up and said,

NO! The stupid has gone on for much too long!

That may have been a little more than two cents worth.

I think I owe you $9.98

DJ.

Compromise is the way most of us live. We compromise when we can't come to a mutual agreement. John wants to go see a movie, Jane wants to go to dinner. Perhaps they compromise by ordering in and renting a movie. Compromise lends itself to adjustment. Maybe we can't afford the car of our dreams but we adjust the dream to fit the immediate need.

Our government, on the other hand, doesn't know the meaning of compromise. It's do as I say or be penalized. No communication. No looking to the people for what we need or want. It's all about wham bam thank you mam. And be sure to pay me for jamming this rod up your ass!

I love your analogy comparing prostitutes to politicians. I place far more trust in honest prostitutes than I place in any of our politicians.

We all know that most politicians are for sale. Lobbyists controlling big bucks have a huge influence on what happens in our government.

Has there ever been a politician who left office with less money than he had when first elected? We have to wonder why anyone would put up a few million bucks of his own money to get elected to a job that pays $174K per year?

Most of what we see on TV is nothing more than pre-rehearsed showtime to appease those of us that even care anymore. They argue back and forth, resolve nothing, and when the show is over they all go out for dinner and drinks at our expense.

I'm actually surprised they are able to maintain a 9% approval rating. Perhaps they all need to be fired and replaced by honest prostitutes who know how to compromise?

Ah Bill, "compromise" is an nteresting word. We can compromise to make good things happen or, we can compromise ourselves for the sake of ego, money, power, etc. Our Congress is showing us what happens when compromise takes the low road. Indeed! These are important days we are living in. Examples are being shown to us daily and we can learn the lesson and build a solid foundation for future generations or we can turn a blind eye, leave things as they are, and go down the proverbial tube. with the idiots. I love the comparison of prostitutes you provided. There is a difference, isn't there? Once again, you have defined the choices before us. Hopefully your loyal followers will choose compromise in a positive sense and share the love. That's your mantra and no one does it better than you. I love you kindred and sometimes I do take the short toute and say "I love ya". Forgive me?

Well Bill, it seems the numbers show more and more are dissatisfied with how things are going right now and I applaud them. Sometimes we accept too much. If we overlook these prostitutes and allow them in our midst then they will only become braver and bolder in their outrageous behavior. Maybe that "Just say no!" slogan is starting to apply here, today, now! I hope so. Then we can work together for what "we" want.

Compromise is probably the best way to go ahead in this society. Unfortunately, too often people don't want to compromise. I don't know if it's the ego talking or a question of principle or greed..... or a mix of all these!

I have a example of it with the bankruptcy of Nortel. There are people all over the world who worked for that company and depending on the country they live in their right for the pension is protected or not. Here in Canada, it's not. So the money collected from selling all the buildings, patents, etc. is being "negotiated" to be shared between creditors by lawyers. It's going on since several years now and my prediction is that the creditors will not have a lot of money and there will be probably no money left for the Canadian workers because the lawyers are eating it up. I find that really sad that in this case, greed and power of a few takes precedence over the well being of many.... they don't take time to compromise :-( If people compromised more, the world would definitely be a better place! It's true on all the levels of our society!

Thank you Bill for taking about this important subject!

You smile on me Brother!

I laughed at the beginning. Congress has an approval rating of 9%. I ain't never heard of a hooker with that low of approval rating.

My son and I just compromised. He let me finish up a writing and I agreed to help him build a ship when I was done. Win Win. We need to teach it that young.

Awesome hub. (I liked the guy sitting in a chair -- but not so much that guy with the big head, that lives about ten miles from here ;-)