PRINCIPLE 3：
If you are wrong， admit it quickly and emphatically.
Back in 1915， John D. Rockefeller， Jr was the most fiercelydespised man in Colorado， One of the bloodiest strikes in thehistory of American industry had been shocking the state for twoterrible years. Irate， belligerent miners were demanding higherwages from the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company； Rockefellercontrolled that company. Property had been destroyed， troopshad been called out. Blood had been shed. Strikers had been shot，their bodies riddled with bullets.
At a time like that， with the air seething with hatred， Rockefellerwanted to win the strikers to his way of thinking. And he did it.
How？
Here’s the story. After weeks spent in making friends， Rockefelleraddressed the representatives of the strikers. This speech， in itsentirety， is a masterpiece. It produced astonishing results. Itcalmed the tempestuous waves of hate that threatened to engulfRockefeller. It won him a host of admirers. The opening of thatremarkable speech follows.
“This is a red-letter day in my life， It is the first time I haveever had the good fortune to meet the representatives of theemployees of this great company， its officers and superintendents，together， and I can assure you that I am proud to be here， andthat I shall remember this gathering as long as I live. Had thismeeting been held two weeks ago， I should have stood here astranger to most of you， recognizing a few faces. Having had theopportunity last week of visiting all the camps in the southern coal field and of talking individually with practically all of therepresentatives， except those who were away； having visited inyour homes， met many of your wives and children， we meet herenot as strangers， but as friends， and it is in that spirit of mutualfriendship that I am glad to have this opportunity to discuss withyou our common interests.
“Since this is a meeting of the officers of the company and therepresentatives of the employees， it is only by your courtesy that Iam here， for I am not so fortunate as to be either one or the other；and yet I feel that I am intimately associated with you men， for， ina sense， I represent both the stockholders and the directors.”
Suppose Rockefeller had taken a different tack. Suppose hehad argued with those miners and hurled devastating facts in theirfaces. Suppose he had told them by his tones and insinuationsthat they were wrong Suppose that， by all the rules of logic， he hadproved that they were wrong. What would have happened？ Moreanger would have been stirred up， more hatred， more revolt.
If a man’s heart is rankling with discord and ill feeling towardyou， you can’t win him to your way of thinking with all the logicin Christendom. Scolding parents and domineering bosses andhusbands and nagging wives ought to realize that people don’twant to change their minds. They can’t he forced or driven toagree with you or me. But they may possibly be led to， if we aregentle and friendly， ever so gentle and ever so friendly.
Lincoln said that， in effect， over a hundred years ago. Here arehis words：
It is an old and true maxim that “a drop of honey catches moreflies than a gallon of gall.” So with men， if you would win a manto you cause， first convince him that you are his sincere friend.
Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart； which， say whatyou will， is the great high road to his reason.
Business executives have learned that it pays to be friendlyto strikers. For example， when 2，500 employees in the WhiteMotor Company’s plant struck for higher wages and a unionshop， Robert F. Black， then president of the company， didn’t losehis temper and condemn and threaten and talk of tryanny andCommunists. He actually praised the strikers. He published anadvertisement in the Cleveland papers， complimenting them on“the peaceful way in which they laid down their tools.” Findingthe strike pickets idle， he bought them a couple of dozen baseballbats and gloves and invited them to play ball on vacant lots. Forthose who preferred bowling， he rented a bowling alley.
