20 Argument Quotes to End Fights in Your Relationships
Updated: Apr. 19, 2024
Need to de-escalate an argument with someone you love? Whether you're butting heads with your sibling or significant other, these poignant argument quotes will help defuse the tension.
Argument quotes and sayings for relationships
Arguments aren’t fun, but they are a fact of life—and they make for a good opportunity to practice and improve your communication skills. We’ve all fought with our parents, siblings, friends or partners (and if you haven’t, you probably haven’t known each other long enough). Emotions are heightened during arguments, and you might say something you don’t mean in the heat of the moment. Luckily, there are timeless words of wisdom and argument quotes that might help defuse the situation.
Some arguments are hard to reconcile, and some have the ability to end a relationship, which we can come to regret. But if you want to keep that person in your life and get back on good terms, there’s always hope. Words have the power to mediate and end conflict, so why not use your best words—or someone else’s? If relationship quotes exist to help express the true depth of your love and appreciation, then why not turn to these quotes about fighting to mediate any disagreements?
The next time you’re in a heated argument, take a step back and take a deep breath. Ahead, we’ve rounded up 20 insightful and respectful argument quotes.
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Quotes about fighting in a relationship
Trouble in paradise? It happens. Whether you’re arguing about whose turn it is to do the dishes, how much to spend during a night out or what to wear on a night out (ahem, not Crocs and a sweatshirt), it’s important to remember why you’re with this person and what you like about them. Let these quotes about fighting in a relationship help you see the bigger picture. And when you’ve reconciled, there will be plenty of heartwarming love quotes to share.
1. “It’s not that we ‘fight.’ It’s that in our frustration we end up treating each other in cruel and contemptuous ways.” —Mira Kirshenbaum, Why Couples Fight
2. “A conflict is like an SOS emerging from the recesses of your relationship … its purpose is to alert you that something needs attention.” —Judith Sherven, PhD, and James Sniechowski, PhD, Be Loved for Who You Really Are
3. “Totally avoiding conflict will get us a peaceful and vapid relationship. If we want emotional closeness instead, then we’ll have to pay for it with occasional discomfort.” —Bryce Kaye, The Marriage First Aid Kit
4. “If it’s not worth breaking up over, it’s not worth arguing over.” —Tony Gaskins Jr., Make It Work
5. “No sensible man ever engages, unprepared, in a fencing match of words with a woman.” —Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White
Funny argument quotes
Humor can be a great way to defuse an argument, especially if you’re fighting over something silly. Consider one of these lighthearted lines the next time you get in a petty disagreement or have a misunderstanding—hopefully, it will provide some laughs or make for a funny story later on.
6. “My wife, Mary, and I have been married for 47 years, and not once have we had an argument serious enough to consider divorce. Murder, yes, but divorce, never.” —Jack Benny, stand-up routine
7. “The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going.” —George Carlin, The Best of Brain Droppings
8. “The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.” —Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People
9. “I like to do all the talking myself. It saves time and prevents arguments.” —Oscar Wilde, The Happy Prince and Other Tales
10. “Just consider how terrible the day of your death will be. Others will go on speaking, and you will not be able to argue back.” —Amartya Sen, The Argumentative Indian
Argument quotes to strengthen a relationship
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? Arguments are par for the course in relationships, and although they can be annoying and sometimes discouraging, getting through them can bring you even closer. Remember, communication is key, and so is compromise. Try these quotes and sayings—they may even become your best line to end an argument.
11. “What if every moment of conflict is a chance to make your relationship even stronger?” —CrisMarie Campbell, The Beauty of Conflict for Couples
12. “The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.” —Joseph Joubert, Pensées
13. “Nothing firms up a friendship like a good-natured argument.” —Lemony Snicket, Who Could That Be at This Hour?
14. “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” —William Ellery Channing, The Works of William Ellery Channing, D.D.
15. “Every couple needs to argue now and then. Just to prove that the relationship is strong enough to survive it. Long-term relationships—the ones that matter—are all about weathering the peaks and the valleys.” —Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven
Love quotes to use when fighting
In the heat of the moment, a message of love offers a simple reminder that you love the person you’re fighting with—and that reminder can help you both take a step back and defuse tension. Approaching each situation with compassion and care can also lead to a quicker resolution.
16. “Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a commitment. It is a choice to show mercy, not to hold the offense up against the offender. Forgiveness is an expression of love.” —Gary Chapman, The 5 Love Languages
17. “[M]an must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” —Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Dec. 10, 1964
18. “We are told that people stay in love because of chemistry, or because they remain intrigued with each other, because of many kindnesses, because of luck. I also suspect that laughing together is vastly underrated. But part of it has got to be forgiveness and gratefulness. The understanding that, so, you’re no bargain, but you love and you are loved. Anyway.” —Ellen Goodman, “Being Loved. Anyway,” The Boston Globe
19. “The course of true love never did run smooth.” —William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
20. “The quarrel of lovers is the renewal of love.” —Terence, Andria (The Girl from Andros)
Why trust us
For more than 100 years, Reader’s Digest has explored the nuances of relationships, working with such luminaries as Dr. Ruth Westheimer, John Gottman, PhD, and Leo Buscagli (“Dr. Love”). We ran a decade-long relationships column and have published a compendium of features, Love and Marriage: The Reader’s Digest Guide to Intimate Relationships. For this piece, we give the quotes a rigorous review to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We support all information with credentialed experts and primary sources such as government and professional organizations, peer-reviewed journals and our writers’ personal experiences where they enhance the topic. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Originally Published: April 16, 2015
