"There is nothing more likely to start disagreement among people or countries than an agreement"
About this Quote
E. B. White needles the comforting fantasy that “agreement” is the end of conflict. The line flips a civic virtue into a troublemaker: the moment you think you’ve settled something, you’ve also created a boundary, a hierarchy, and a set of expectations people will immediately test. It’s classic White in miniature - plainspoken, mischievous, and quietly skeptical of human self-congratulation.
The wit works because it targets the gap between signing and living. An agreement is tidy on paper, but messy in practice: it has definitions that can be gamed, loopholes that invite cleverness, and costs that land unevenly. Once terms exist, so do grievances about interpretation. “You promised” becomes a weapon; “that’s not what we meant” becomes a shield. The paradox isn’t just a joke - it’s an observation about how language, once formalized, turns into leverage.
Read as international commentary, it’s even sharper. Treaties don’t end rivalry; they freeze it into clauses. The ink dries and the real fight begins: enforcement, verification, face-saving. Agreements can inflame because they force parties to publicly declare limits and concessions, creating domestic backlash and bruised pride. They also create a scoreboard, and nobody likes seeing themselves down points.
White’s subtext is less nihilistic than wary: cooperation is necessary, but the act of “agreeing” is not harmony - it’s the start of accountability, and accountability is where humans, and nations, most reliably quarrel.
The wit works because it targets the gap between signing and living. An agreement is tidy on paper, but messy in practice: it has definitions that can be gamed, loopholes that invite cleverness, and costs that land unevenly. Once terms exist, so do grievances about interpretation. “You promised” becomes a weapon; “that’s not what we meant” becomes a shield. The paradox isn’t just a joke - it’s an observation about how language, once formalized, turns into leverage.
Read as international commentary, it’s even sharper. Treaties don’t end rivalry; they freeze it into clauses. The ink dries and the real fight begins: enforcement, verification, face-saving. Agreements can inflame because they force parties to publicly declare limits and concessions, creating domestic backlash and bruised pride. They also create a scoreboard, and nobody likes seeing themselves down points.
White’s subtext is less nihilistic than wary: cooperation is necessary, but the act of “agreeing” is not harmony - it’s the start of accountability, and accountability is where humans, and nations, most reliably quarrel.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
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