Quotes from William Ury

By refusing to respect you and your needs, the other is bringing about a certain set of natural consequences, which themselves can become the other's teacher. Your job is to simply facilitate the learning process, beginning by asking reality-testing questions, and proceeding to warnings.

As Gandhi recognized and demonstrated, perhaps the chief positive power we have in a world of relationships is the ability to withdraw our cooperation if the other refuses to respect our legitimate interests.

The peace we can aspire to then is not a harmonious peace of the grave, nor a submissive peace of the slave, but a hardworking peace of the brave.

The less dependent we feel on others to satisfy our needs for happiness, the more mature and truly satisfying our relationships with others are likely to be. The less needy we feel, the less conflict there will be and the easier it will be for us to get to Yes in challenging situations.