An indifferent agreement is better than a good verdict.
An indifferent agreement is better than a good verdict.
Meaning in plain English
A workable compromise may be more useful than a satisfying declaration that one side has won. The saying draws attention to the costs of prolonged conflict, while preserving the need for a fair outcome.
Example
Two organisers accept alternating meeting times instead of prolonging an argument over one preferred slot.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The indifferent agreement is understood here as a modest or imperfect settlement, contrasted with an apparently favourable verdict. The proverb asks whether winning a dispute on paper is worth the time, strain or damaged cooperation involved. In an ordinary group disagreement, an acceptable arrangement can let useful work continue before every preference is satisfied. This is an editorial figurative reading, not advice about a legal case. Compromise is not automatically wise when it entrenches coercion or denies someone fair treatment. The useful question is whether the agreement is genuinely workable for those affected, rather than merely quieter or more convenient for the stronger party.
When to use it
Use it to consider fair, workable compromise in a group dispute.
Keep in mind
Peace at another person’s expense is not a sound agreement.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-04. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Dictionary of Quotations (1893)
Printed citation: Pr. · page_015
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
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