Tao Bible - Matthew 5:25

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
~ King James version ~

After a bitter quarrel, some resentment must remain.
What can one do about it?
Therefore the sage keeps his half of the bargain
But does not exact his due.
A man of Virtue performs his part,
But a man without Virtue requires others to fulfill their obligations.
~ from Verse 79 of the Tao Te Ching ~

We tend to expect others to make the first move whenever we find ourselves in disagreement. We expect them to apologize or to refrain from being resentful. When we place the onus on others, we excuse ourselves.

Want to lessen conflict in your life? Then, keep your part of the bargain...first.

If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.