A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit.

Hear the wisdom of George Herbert, the poet and priest of old, who declared with clarity and truth: “A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit.” This saying is not only a counsel for men in quarrels, but a universal law for nations, families, and all who dwell upon the earth. For disputes are like fires: when small, they may be quenched with little water, but when fed by pride and carried to the courts, they may consume treasures, peace, and years of life. A lean compromise may seem thin and unsatisfying, yet it preserves harmony; a fat lawsuit may promise riches, yet it fattens only strife and leaves hearts hollow.

From the days of the ancients, wise men have warned against the poison of prolonged quarrels. The Greeks knew that endless litigation weakened the polis, for men who might have tilled fields or built ships instead wasted their strength in argument before judges. The Scriptures, too, speak of settling with one’s adversary quickly, lest wrath grow heavy and consume both parties. Herbert’s words spring from this long tradition: better to yield a little in peace than to fight endlessly for much in bitterness.

Consider the tale of King Solomon, who judged between two women that claimed one child. He could have let them battle endlessly, dragging their case through endless pleas and cries. Instead, by wisdom, he sought compromise, revealing the true mother through mercy. Had the case been left to fester, no child would have been saved, and grief would have reigned. Here we see that wise compromise, even when lean, preserves life and truth, while prolonged disputes destroy both.

History also bears witness in the affairs of nations. Recall the Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years’ War in Europe. After decades of bloodshed, famine, and ruin, the nations chose compromise. It was not perfect, and not all were satisfied, but it restored order to lands drenched in suffering. A “fat lawsuit” of continued war might have promised glory or conquest to some, but it would have delivered only ashes. The lean peace was the wiser path, and Europe was given breath again.

The meaning is plain: when men cling too tightly to their pride, wealth, or demands, they are drawn into courts where years are wasted, money is devoured, and relationships are destroyed. A compromise, even if it feels meager, saves what is most precious—time, peace, and dignity. For no sum of gold won in court can return the lost years of bitterness, nor can any judgment heal the wounds of friendship or family torn asunder.

The lesson, then, is for every soul: seek peace before strife. When conflict arises, do not ask, “How can I win the most?” but “How can we both endure with honor?” In business, in family, in the dealings of neighbors, strive for settlement, for it is better to part with a little than to be consumed by much. Let go of vengeance, for it fattens only the heart’s rancor, while compromise feeds the soil of peace.

In your life, take practical steps: speak honestly but humbly in disputes, listen as well as you argue, and be willing to yield. Support mediations over lawsuits, reconciliation over prolonged battles. Remember always that what you preserve through peace is far greater than what you might gain through victory at another’s ruin.

So let Herbert’s words resound as a guiding star: a lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit. For true wealth is not found in courts of law, but in the quiet of reconciled hearts, in the bonds of trust that endure, and in the wisdom of those who choose peace over pride.