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Are you saying I should run after her?” “Crawl, actually…

“Are you saying I should run after her?” “Crawl, actually, if I were you,” recommended Aral. “Crawl fast. Slither under her door, go belly-up, let her stomp on you till she gets it out of her system. Then apologize some more. You may yet save the situation.” Aral’s eyes were openly alight with…” quote by Lois McMaster Bujold
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““Are you saying I should run after her?” “Crawl, actually, if I were you,” recommended Aral. “Crawl fast. Slither under her door, go belly-up, let her stomp on you till she gets it out of her system. Then apologize some more. You may yet save the situation.” Aral’s eyes were openly alight with amusement now. “What do you call that? Total surrender?” said Kou indignantly. “No. I’d call it winning.” His voice grew a shade cooler. “I’ve seen the war between men and women descend to scorched-earth heroics. Pyres of pride. You don’t want to go down that road. I guarantee it.””

Lois McMaster Bujold

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Strategic surrender can turn conflict into advantage; sometimes yielding leads to winning.

In simple terms: Yielding can be a winning strategy.

Key Takeaway

Consider strategic concession.

Themes

conflict relationships strategy

Mood

cautionary insightful

Type

literary conversational

When to use this quote

  • romantic disputes
  • workplace negotiations
  • family arguments
  • political debates

Key Concepts

psychology power dynamics negotiation

Questions to Reflect On

  • When is surrender truly strategic?
  • How to ensure surrender leads to desired outcome?
A Different Perspective

May be misinterpreted as weakness.

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