45 Quotes About Unfairness at Work

Not everything is created equal. These quotes about unfairness at work highlight the lack of fairness that can be found in certain competitive environments.

“Nothing is fair in this world. You might as well get that straight right now.”

“A good manager doesn’t try to eliminate conflict; he tries to keep it from wasting the energies of his people. If you’re the boss and your people fight you openly when they think that you are wrong–that’s healthy.”

“A quarrel is quickly settled when deserted by one party; there is no battle unless there be two.”

“A willingness to trust and openly listen to alternative ideas and views is essential for collaboration to be successful.”

“Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn–and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”

“Be fair. Treat the other man as you would be treated.”

“Being good is easy, what is difficult is being just.”

“Clearly, there aren’t enough positive moments or interactions happening in the workplace. As a result, our economy suffers, companies suffer, and individual relationships suffer.”

“Conflict builds character. Crisis defines it.”

“Differences can be the sources of creativity, or they can serve to divide.”

“Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.”

“Do something every day that you don’t want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.”

“Every person in this life has something to teach me–and as soon as I accept that, I open myself to truly listening.”

“Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.”

“Fairness is man’s ability to rise above his prejudices.”

“Fairness is what justice really is.”

“I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near.”

“I know of no more disagreeable situation than to be left feeling generally angry without anybody in particular to be angry at.”

“I know the world isn’t fair, but why isn’t it ever unfair in my favor?”

“If you can’t go around it, over it, or through it, you had better negotiate with it.”

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

“In our hearts and in our laws, we must treat all our people with fairness and dignity, regardless of their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.”

“In some ways, we will always be different. In other ways, we will always be the same. There is always room to disagree and blame, just as there is always room to take a new perspective and empathize. Understanding is a choice.”

“It is not fair to ask of others what you are unwilling to do yourself.”

“Justice is a certain rectitude of mind whereby a man does what he ought to do in circumstances confronting him.”

“Let us keep our mouths shut and our pens dry until we know the facts.”

“Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.”

“Listen first. Give your opponents a chance to talk. Let them finish. Do not resist, defend or debate. This only raises barriers. Try to build bridges of understanding.”

“Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.”

“My role was to bring about fairness in the workplace. All I did was implement the laws that were currently on the books.”

“No one can persuade another to change. Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside. We cannot open the gate of another, either by argument or emotional appeal.”

“Nothing can be truly great which is not right.”

“Power in organizations is the capacity generated by relationships. It is an energy that comes into existence through relationships.”

“Remember that when you meet your antagonist, to do everything in a mild agreeable manner. Let your courage be keen, but, at the same time, as polished as your sword.”

“Talk back to your internal critic. Train yourself to recognize and write down critical thoughts as they go through your mind. Learn why these thoughts are untrue and practice talking and writing back to them.”

“The aim of justice is to give everyone his due.”

“The Law of Win/Win says, ‘Let’s not do it your way or my way; let’s do it the best way.'”

“The most difficult thing in any negotiation, almost, is making sure that you strip it of the emotion and deal with the facts.”

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t being said. The art of reading between the lines is a lifelong quest of the wise.”

“The right tools for solving disputes within our community are precision instruments such as reason, communication, empathy, curiosity, and understanding. They are also the right tools for building a global civilization of peace and prosperity.”

“There are three ways of dealing with difference: domination, compromise, and integration. By domination only one side gets what it wants; by compromise neither side gets what it wants; by integration we find a way by which both sides may get what they wish.”

“There are two ways of meeting difficulties: You alter the difficulties or you alter yourself meeting them.”

“These men ask for just the same thing, fairness, and fairness only. This, so far as in my power, they, and all others, shall have.”

“Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace.”

“Win or lose, do it fairly.”

Dealing with workplace diversity can lead to complications between genders and different minority groups if they feel like there is an unbalance in the workplace.