We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies.
Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.
Credit: Abraham Lincoln
Comment: The source and meaning of the phrase “better angels” : “Better Angels” In Our Past
Posts where this quotation is embedded
- Changing Minds Through Conversation The role of conversation in Derek Black’s transformation
- The Power of Talking with Enemies Özlem Cekic’s story of transforming hostility through conversation
Image Credits: Pixabay
(Pixabay) Gurteen Knowledge Café Workshop
Tuesday 8th December 2026, 14:00 to 18:00 London time (GMT)
Learn how to design & run a Gurteen Knowledge Café, both face-to-face and online.
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Tuesday 8th December 2026, 14:00 to 18:00 London time (GMT)
Learn how to design & run a Gurteen Knowledge Café, both face-to-face and online.
Information and Registration
This quotation is part of a blook on Conversational Leadership. It is one of many quotations that have influenced my thinking on the subject. Parts of this blook have restricted access. You may browse the pages open to you, but you will need to register and be approved before you can login and access the full site. When you register, you may also sign-up to receive a quotation of the day by email.