Compromise is, in my opinion, the vital key to sustaining relationships, whether they be marital, political or economic. It requires a certain degree of humility and generosity in both parties and a willingness to appreciate the other's views, needs and desires.
The enemy of compromise is zealotry, religious, political or otherwise. Zealots, self righteous and intolerant of other points of view, live in a black and white world. Zealotry, in turn, is fed by greed and ignorance, traits all too common in human society.
As we are currently witnessing in the U.S. Congress, infused with zealots on both the left and the right, compromise is despised and progress is stymied. On the world stage, religious and political zealotry pose the greatest threat to peace and prosperity, fueling terrorism, intolerance, discrimination, evangelism, imperialism, dictatorships and national theocracies. Education, communication and compromise are the antidotes.
