In his 1775 Speech on Conciliation with America, Edmund Burke offered a succinct account of why it is rational to be willing to compromise in politics, and indeed in almost every aspect of broader social life:
All government, indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue, and every prudent act, is founded on compromise and barter. We balance inconveniences; we give and take; we remit some rights, that we may enjoy others; and we choose rather to be happy citizens than subtle disputants.¹
In an era when politicians are often celebrated for unyielding commitment to “principle,” even when their tenacity is little more than a campaign strategy, it may seem strange that Burke should emphasize not only the ubiquity of compromise, but also what we can gain through the sacrifices we make when we compromise.
But Burke implicitly understood that when the context of negotiation is properly framed, a compromise is the most reliable means we have for responding constructively to conflict. He clearly also recognized that, given how frequently we encounter conflict, especially in political life, it is profoundly rational to be ready to seek constructive compromise in response.