--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don’t let the little things divide you…" description: "\"“Don’t let the little things divide you when your agreement on the big things should bind you.”\" — Ray Dalio" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5d/ray-dalio-299_big-things_don-t-let-the-little-things-divide-you-w_2472048.jpg" --- # Don’t let the little things divide you when your agreement… ![“Don’t let the little things divide you when your agreement on the big things should bind you.” quote by Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5d/ray-dalio-299_big-things_don-t-let-the-little-things-divide-you-w_2472048.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5d/ray-dalio-299_big-things_don-t-let-the-little-things-divide-you-w_2472048.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5d/ray-dalio-299_big-things_don-t-let-the-little-things-divide-you-w_2472048.jpg) > ““Don’t let the little things divide you when your agreement on the big things should bind you.”” [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focus on shared core values, not minor disagreements, to maintain unity. **In simple terms:** Big goals should bind, not small differences. Key Takeaway Prioritize common purpose. Themes collaboration conflict resolution leadership Mood reflective strategic Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - business partnerships - family decisions - political coalitions - community projects Key Concepts shared vision principles team dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What big goal unites you? - How do you address small conflicts? A Different Perspective Minor issues can become obstacles if ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-things/) [Little things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-things/) ## Related quotes > [We don't need to talk about the things that divide us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslyn-lewis/we-don-t-need-to-talk-about-the-things-that-divide-us/) [Leslyn Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslyn-lewis/) > [When you strip away all the little things that divide us, it's important to remember how tied we are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-you-strip-away-all-the-little-things-that-divide-us-it-s/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [I do think that there is such a thing as human nature, and that the things that we have in common are perhaps greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-do-think-that-there-is-such-a-thing-as-human-nature-and-that-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [The stupidity of militarized fences between two worlds is a metaphor for all the things that divide us as human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/the-stupidity-of-militarized-fences-between-two-worlds-is-a-metaphor/) [Luis Alberto Urrea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-alberto-urrea/) > [So unless we come together as a people and stop our foolish beefing among each other, sit down like intelligent men and women and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/so-unless-we-come-together-as-a-people-and-stop-our-foolish-beefing/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [The Things That Divide Us Are Stronger Than The Things That Unite Us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hickman/the-things-that-divide-us-are-stronger-than-the-things-that-unite-us/) [Jonathan Hickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hickman/) > [It's easy to focus on the things that divide us. Sometimes too easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-miller/it-s-easy-to-focus-on-the-things-that-divide-us-sometimes-too-easy/) [Dan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-miller/) > [When your goal is to bring together the country in a substantive way to say that we're united by values and more - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/when-your-goal-is-to-bring-together-the-country-in-a-substantive-way/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [We are not going to dwell on those things that divide us. We are going to rejoice in those things that keep us together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-are-not-going-to-dwell-on-those-things-that-divide-us-we-are-going/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We came to America, either ourselves or in the persons of our ancestors, to better the ideals of men, to make them see finer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/we-came-to-america-either-ourselves-or-in-the-persons-of-our/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [Our common humanity is more important than all the things that divide us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mairead-corrigan/our-common-humanity-is-more-important-than-all-the-things-that-divide/) [Mairead Corrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mairead-corrigan/) > [In ordinary life, we are not aware of the unity of all things, but divide the world into separate objects and events. This division…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/in-ordinary-life-we-are-not-aware-of-the-unity-of-all-things-but/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/while-we-celebrate-our-diversity-what-surprises-me-time-and-time/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) > [It's more important to do big things well than to do small things perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/it-s-more-important-to-do-big-things-well-than-to-do-small-things/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) ## More by Ray Dalio > [“Slow down your thinking so you can note the criteria you are using to make your decision. 2. Write the criteria down as a principle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/slow-down-your-thinking-so-you-can-note-the-criteria-you-are-using-to/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Having a process that ensures problems are brought to the surface, and their root causes diagnosed, assures that continual improvements occur.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/having-a-process-that-ensures-problems-are-brought-to-the-surface-and/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“If you can’t successfully do something, don’t think you can tell others how it should be done”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/if-you-can-t-successfully-do-something-don-t-think-you-can-tell/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Remember that a good plan should resemble a movie script.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/remember-that-a-good-plan-should-resemble-a-movie-script/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“I believe that the key to success lies in knowing how to both strive for a lot and fail well. By failing well, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-believe-that-the-key-to-success-lies-in-knowing-how-to-both-strive/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [I'm scared of one man, one vote because it suggests that everybody has an equal ability at making decisions, and I think that's dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-m-scared-of-one-man-one-vote-because-it-suggests-that-everybody-has/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“A manager’s ability to recognize when outcomes are inconsistent with goals and then modify designs and assemble people to rectify them makes all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/a-manager-s-ability-to-recognize-when-outcomes-are-inconsistent-with/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“So I learned to be radically open-minded to allow others to point out what I might be missing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/so-i-learned-to-be-radically-open-minded-to-allow-others-to-point-out/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“During those terrible days after 9/11, when the whole country was being whipsawed by emotion, or the weeks between September 19 and October 10,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/during-those-terrible-days-after-9-11-when-the-whole-country-was/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“is more effective to train that subconscious, emotional you the same way you would teach a child to behave”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/is-more-effective-to-train-that-subconscious-emotional-you-the-same/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [I think that the first thing is you should have a strategic asset allocation mix that assumes that you don't know what the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-think-that-the-first-thing-is-you-should-have-a-strategic-asset/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [Life is like a game where you seek to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving your goals. You get better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/life-is-like-a-game-where-you-seek-to-overcome-the-obstacles-that/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“when we look down on ourselves through the eyes of nature we are of absolutely no significance. It is a reality that each one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/when-we-look-down-on-ourselves-through-the-eyes-of-nature-we-are-of/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Great questions are a much better indicator of future success than great answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/great-questions-are-a-much-better-indicator-of-future-success-than/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Georgi Plekhanov’s classic On the Role of the Individual in History.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/georgi-plekhanov-s-classic-on-the-role-of-the-individual-in-history/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) [Explore all 716 Ray Dalio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) ## More Big things quotes > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [Little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only the winners perfect the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/little-things-make-the-difference-everyone-is-well-prepared-in-the/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [I would not have lasted a minute, literally a minute, on this Earth without God and angels by my side, because I was born.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mattie-stepanek/i-would-not-have-lasted-a-minute-literally-a-minute-on-this-earth/) [Mattie Stepanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mattie-stepanek/) > [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [It's silly to have as one's sole object in life just making money, accumulating wealth. I work because I enjoy what I'm doing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/it-s-silly-to-have-as-one-s-sole-object-in-life-just-making-money/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-dale-bell/show-me-a-man-who-cannot-bother-to-do-little-things-and-i-ll-show-you/) Lawrence Dale Bell > [ITS FUNNY HOW YOU CAN MAKE SILENT HAPPINESS TO OTHER PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR NONE SENSE ACTIONS. BECAUSE SOMETHINGS IT MAYBE LITTLE AS WE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-voice/its-funny-how-you-can-make-silent-happiness-to-other-people-out-of/) NO VOICE > [The little things, I can obey. But the big things - how we think, what we value - those you must choose yourself. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morrie-schwartz/the-little-things-i-can-obey-but-the-big-things-how-we-think-what-we/) [Morrie Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morrie-schwartz/) > [The little things are being early to meetings and lifts, stretching and warming up - doing all these things consistently, the walk-throughs that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-herbert/the-little-things-are-being-early-to-meetings-and-lifts-stretching/) [Justin Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-herbert/) > [I promise you this: at the end of your days, you will discover that the things you now perceive to be the big things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/i-promise-you-this-at-the-end-of-your-days-you-will-discover-that-the/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“He wanted me to understand two big things: First, that nobody, no group, is above others. Public servants are obliged to level with everybody,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/he-wanted-me-to-understand-two-big-things-first-that-nobody-no-group/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“When it comes to big things in life, there are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/when-it-comes-to-big-things-in-life-there-are-no-accidents-everything/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [President Barack Obama is a doer. And we in America will do big things with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hunt/president-barack-obama-is-a-doer-and-we-in-america-will-do-big-things/) [Jim Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hunt/) > [There are experts in little things but there are no experts in big things. There are experts in this fact and that fact but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/there-are-experts-in-little-things-but-there-are-no-experts-in-big/) [Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/) [Browse all 748 Big things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Don’t let the little things divide you when your agreement on the big things should bind you.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ray Dalio" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/don-t-let-the-little-things-divide-you-when-your-agreement-on-the-big/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big things" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/don-t-let-the-little-things-divide-you-when-your-agreement-on-the-big/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5d/ray-dalio-299_big-things_don-t-let-the-little-things-divide-you-w_2472048.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5d/ray-dalio-299_big-things_don-t-let-the-little-things-divide-you-w_2472048.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5d/ray-dalio-299_big-things_don-t-let-the-little-things-divide-you-w_2472048.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don’t let the little things divide you when your agreement on the big things should bind you.” — Ray Dalio", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ray Dalio", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Don’t let the little things divide...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/don-t-let-the-little-things-divide-you-when-your-agreement-on-the-big/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/don-t-let-the-little-things-divide-you-when-your-agreement-on-the-big/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```