We know from chaos theory that even if you had a perfect model of the world, you'd need infinite precision in order to predict future events. With sociopolitical or economic phenomena, we don't have anything like that.
Nassim Nicholas TalebRead
It's not compatible to expect multilateralism to work and, at the same time, to expect to walk out with everything you wanted. This is a recipe for failure. If we prize the system, we have to come knowing that we will need to make compromises. Sometimes painful compromises.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Effective multilateralism requires compromise rather than selfish expectations.
This quote emphasizes the necessity of compromise in multilateral negotiations. Roberto Azevedo suggests that if one truly values a cooperative system, it is essential to enter discussions prepared to make concessions, even if they may be difficult or disappointing. The expectation of achieving all one's desires without collaboration is unrealistic and ultimately leads to failure.
Themes
MultilateralismCompromiseNegotiationFailureCollaboration
In practice
Example use cases
In a diplomatic conference, when discussing trade agreements, one might quote Azevedo to emphasize the need for mutual adjustments.
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