tact

To have the reputation of possessing the most perfect social tact talk to every woman as if you loved her and to every man as if he bored you.

Diplomacy the art of saying 'nice doggie' till you can find a rock.

"Let us agree not to step on each other's feet " said the cock to the horse.

If any pilgrim monk come from distant parts with wish as a guest to dwell in the monastery and will be content with the customs which he finds in the place and does not perchance by his lavishness disturb the monastery but is simply content with what he finds he shall be received for as long as he desires. If indeed he find fault with anything or expose it reasonably and with the humility of charity the Abbott shall discuss it prudently lest perchance God had sent him for this very thing. But if he have been found gossipy and contumacious in the time of his sojourn as guest not only ought he not be joined to the body of the monastery but also it shall be said to him honestly that he must depart. If he does not go let two stout monks in the name of God explain the matter to him.

Negotiation in the classic diplomatic sense assumes parties more anxious to agree than to disagree.

Diplomats are useful only in fair weather. As soon as it rains they drown in every drop.

A distinguished diplomat could hold his tongue in ten languages.

Women and foxes being weak are distinguished by superior tact.

Tact: the ability to describe others as they see themselves.

[She] had the indefinable charm of someone who said little but thought much. Miss Prim had always felt that such people were at a marked advantage. They never said anything tactless, never spouted nonsense, never had cause to regret their words or justify themselves.

The sea is a lonely and hostile place, Captain,' Jansen said coldly. 'It is always best not to make enemies of those who might be your friends. You never know when your ships may cross

In any case, I hadn__ gone into the subject of dorm living too deeply with him, not because I hesitated to probe his tender spots but because I would have been probing my own. This is called tact, and is reputed to be a virtue.

Tact is an ability to live in the midst of ugliness without getting ugly.

Dr. Cox: Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present, Man Not Caring.[points to self]

In this slipshod age, we need object lessons in language and thought. _ Edith Wharton on an address by John Hay

Tact by its nature entails staying mum, prudently electing to forgo urging other people to pursue an alternative course of action. Creation of silent spaces in our own life and equitable distribution of periods of respite that allow for periods of equable inner reflection is necessary to spur personal growth. It is equally important to honor other people__ intrinsic need for periods of introspection, uninterrupted by unsolicited advice

If you don__ find the right set of eyes to see through your bull, you will always be surrounded by friends that will tell you white lies because they like your company and don__ want to ruin the evening.

Often people that tell others they are "extremely polite" when the situation calls for tact and bluntness are not actually polite people. Instead, they hide behind the word __olite_ because they have low self esteem or hidden agendas. Sadly, they impolitely confuse the hell out of everyone, send mixed signals, which then makes people question their sanity and motives.