Harris, Sydney J. -- Pieces of Eight (1982)

Dave — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 23:40:30 +0000

The most important tactic in an argument, next to being right, is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent, so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without an embarrassing loss of face.

Sydney J. Harris (1917–1986) Anglo-American columnist, journalist, author
Pieces of Eight (1982)
(Source)

Frequently misquoted: "The most important thing in an argument, next to being right, is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent, so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without too much apparent loss of face."

Johnson, Lyndon -- Quoted in Philip Geyelin, Lyndon B. Johnson and the World, ch. 6 (1966)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

While you’re saving your face, you’re losing your ass.

Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) American politician, educator, US President (1963–69)
Quoted in Philip Geyelin, Lyndon B. Johnson and the World, ch. 6 (1966)
(Source)

Geyelin said the phrase came up during "an august gathering of his most distinguished advisers when the question arose whether to honor an apparent US commitment to a proposition which Congress seemed unlikely to accept. Face-saving, the President observed, was not his major purpose in life," followed by the quote.

WIST Quotations

Harris, Sydney J. -- Pieces of Eight (1982)

Johnson, Lyndon -- Quoted in Philip Geyelin, Lyndon B. Johnson and the World, ch. 6 (1966)