--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We live to prove that cooperation works…" description: "\"We live to prove that cooperation works better than conflict.\" — William J. Clinton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3a/william-j-clinton-302_better_we-live-to-prove-that-cooperation-works_729051.jpg" --- # We live to prove that cooperation works better than… ![“We live to prove that cooperation works better than conflict.” quote by William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3a/william-j-clinton-302_better_we-live-to-prove-that-cooperation-works_729051.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3a/william-j-clinton-302_better_we-live-to-prove-that-cooperation-works_729051.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3a/william-j-clinton-302_better_we-live-to-prove-that-cooperation-works_729051.jpg) > “We live to prove that cooperation works better than conflict.” [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cooperation yields better outcomes than conflict, emphasizing collaborative problem‑solving over adversarial approaches. **In simple terms:** Working together works better than fighting. Key Takeaway Promote teamwork over rivalry. Themes cooperation conflict resolution collaboration leadership Mood optimistic inspirational Type leadership practical When to use this quote - business negotiations - community projects - international diplomacy - team sports Key Concepts political science social psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster cooperation in a divided group? - What incentives encourage collaborative effort? A Different Perspective Cooperation can be slow and require compromise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Cooperation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooperation/) [Teamwork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teamwork/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [When times are tough, constant conflict may be good politics but in the real world, cooperation works better. After all, nobody's right all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-times-are-tough-constant-conflict-may-be-good-politics-but-in/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [I spent a lot of time when I was president, trying to end wars, prevent killing, and promote understanding. What I have seen is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-when-i-was-president-trying-to-end-wars-prevent/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Great drama is all about conflict, and what's a better conflict than Republican-Democrat?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-janney/great-drama-is-all-about-conflict-and-what-s-a-better-conflict-than/) [Allison Janney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-janney/) > [Cooperation isn't the absence of conflict but a means of managing conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/cooperation-isn-t-the-absence-of-conflict-but-a-means-of-managing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [“Cooperation and conflict are two sides of the same coin, neither of which can be understood properly without taking account of the other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-binmore/cooperation-and-conflict-are-two-sides-of-the-same-coin-neither-of/) Ken Binmore > [Cooperation and conflict are two sides of the same coin; both arise out of man's relationship with his fellows. The larger the group, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-nyerere/cooperation-and-conflict-are-two-sides-of-the-same-coin-both-arise/) [Julius Nyerere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-nyerere/) > [We live in a highly competitive society, each of us trying to outdo the other in wealth, in popularity or social prestige, in dress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/we-live-in-a-highly-competitive-society-each-of-us-trying-to-outdo/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [One of the main reasons we ought to re-elect President Obama is that he is still committed to constructive cooperation... He appointed Republican secretaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/one-of-the-main-reasons-we-ought-to-re-elect-president-obama-is-that/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Cooperation will save the future. And America should lead it. Every time humanity has been in danger of extinguishing itself, our consciousness and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/cooperation-will-save-the-future-and-america-should-lead-it-every/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [When I first came to Washington in the 1960s, even at the height of the Vietnam War, until the end there in '68 there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-i-first-came-to-washington-in-the-1960s-even-at-the-height-of/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [One of the main reasons America should re-elect President Obama is that he is still committed to cooperation. He appointed Republican Secretaries of Defense,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/one-of-the-main-reasons-america-should-re-elect-president-obama-is/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [If you believe in a security strategy - a strategy of more friends and fewer enemies, a strategy of greater cooperation and a strategy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/if-you-believe-in-a-security-strategy-a-strategy-of-more-friends-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [When times are tough and people are frustrated and angry and hurting and uncertain, the politics of constant conflict may be good, but what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-times-are-tough-and-people-are-frustrated-and-angry-and-hurting/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [One of the real dilemmas we have in our country and around the world is that what works in politics is organization and conflict.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/one-of-the-real-dilemmas-we-have-in-our-country-and-around-the-world/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [I wish I had played team sports. I think every kid should. Teamwork builds character - teaches people about leadership and cooperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-rocca/i-wish-i-had-played-team-sports-i-think-every-kid-should-teamwork/) [Mo Rocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-rocca/) ## More by William J. Clinton > [When personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it. That's what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-personal-freedom-s-being-abused-you-have-to-move-to-limit-it/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Almost makes you want to go to jail out here, doesn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/almost-makes-you-want-to-go-to-jail-out-here-doesn-t-it/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [I take full responsability...for what we did. It was the right thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-take-full-responsability-for-what-we-did-it-was-the-right-thing-to/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Even as people take pride in their national independence, we know we are becoming more and more interdependent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/even-as-people-take-pride-in-their-national-independence-we-know-we/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [To build a twenty-first-century economy, America must revive a nineteenth-century habit--investing in the common, national economic resources that enable every person and every firm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/to-build-a-twenty-first-century-economy-america-must-revive-a/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [One of the things that I think we have learned is that we should all be very careful about making predictions about the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/one-of-the-things-that-i-think-we-have-learned-is-that-we-should-all/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Only astrophysicists new about the Internet 20 years ago. Today my cat has a website.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/only-astrophysicists-new-about-the-internet-20-years-ago-today-my-cat/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Our military superiority is so great - it's far greater than it was in the Gulf War, and the Gulf War was over in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/our-military-superiority-is-so-great-it-s-far-greater-than-it-was-in/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [You know, I've always been really interested in this stuff, and I'm going to read this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/you-know-i-ve-always-been-really-interested-in-this-stuff-and-i-m/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [If you believe in making change from the bottom up, if you believe the measure of change is how many people's lives are better,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/if-you-believe-in-making-change-from-the-bottom-up-if-you-believe-the/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [ We \[Democrats\] have got to be strong. When we look weak in a time where people feel insecure, we lose. when people feel uncertain,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-democrats-have-got-to-be-strong-when-we-look-weak-in-a-time-where/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [It's the economy, stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/it-s-the-economy-stupid/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [The Republicans could mess up a two car parade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/the-republicans-could-mess-up-a-two-car-parade/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [We're all in this together is a far better philosophy than you're on your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-re-all-in-this-together-is-a-far-better-philosophy-than-you-re-on/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) [Explore all 712 William J. Clinton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/) [Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [The Little you Give !! The Better it Gets !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-stanyer/the-little-you-give-the-better-it-gets/) [Mario Stanyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-stanyer/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/) [Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/) > [It hasn't been a conscious thing, like, 'I don't want to listen to a bunch of dudes,' but I genuinely like music by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soccer-mommy/it-hasn-t-been-a-conscious-thing-like-i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-a/) [Soccer Mommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soccer-mommy/) > [Life is going to hit you some line drives, and sometimes you'll have to think fast. However, it's better to think first than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/life-is-going-to-hit-you-some-line-drives-and-sometimes-you-ll-have/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [I like to collaborate with other people for studio recordings because I believe collaboration, in any form, makes music better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-like-to-collaborate-with-other-people-for-studio-recordings-because/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/) [Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/) > [Cara Delevingne and I took an eyebrow selfie. We both have prominent eyebrows, but hers are much better than mine. Maybe we should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/cara-delevingne-and-i-took-an-eyebrow-selfie-we-both-have-prominent/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [I never really look at it past one year. I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) Browse all 17,085 Better quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We live to prove that cooperation works better than conflict.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William J. Clinton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-live-to-prove-that-cooperation-works-better-than-conflict/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Better" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-live-to-prove-that-cooperation-works-better-than-conflict/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3a/william-j-clinton-302_better_we-live-to-prove-that-cooperation-works_729051.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3a/william-j-clinton-302_better_we-live-to-prove-that-cooperation-works_729051.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3a/william-j-clinton-302_better_we-live-to-prove-that-cooperation-works_729051.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We live to prove that cooperation works better than conflict.” — William J. Clinton", "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": "William J. Clinton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We live to prove that cooperation...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-live-to-prove-that-cooperation-works-better-than-conflict/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-live-to-prove-that-cooperation-works-better-than-conflict/#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 } } ] } ```