You have to get along with people, but you also have to

The words of Steve Case — “You have to get along with people, but you also have to recognize that the strength of a team is different people with different perspectives and different personalities.” — resound like the counsel of an elder who has seen both discord and unity, who has learned that greatness is not the work of one alone but of many joined in harmony. In these words lies an ancient truth: the tree is mighty not because of one branch, but because of the many, each different in shape and direction, yet all drawing life from the same root.

To “get along with people” is the foundation of community. No house, no kingdom, no guild of workers can endure if it is torn by endless strife. But Case reminds us that harmony is not sameness. The strength of a team does not come from every member thinking alike, speaking alike, or acting alike. True strength comes when differences are not erased but embraced, when many voices become a chorus rather than a quarrel. The ancients knew this truth well, for even in the myths of Olympus, the gods were not all alike — each had a distinct power, a distinct temper, and together they shaped the world.

History gives us luminous mirrors of this wisdom. Think of the drafting of the United States Constitution. The men who gathered in Philadelphia were not of one mind; they quarreled, they clashed, they argued fiercely about the future of the nation. Yet from their different perspectives came a living document that has endured centuries. If they had sought only sameness, the work would have been weak. If they had refused to get along, the work would have collapsed. Their strength was forged in difference, tempered by the discipline of cooperation.

So too in the arts of war. Consider the armies of Alexander the Great, drawn not only from Macedonians but from Greeks, Persians, and countless others. Each brought different weapons, tactics, and traditions. Alexander, wise enough to unite them, did not force them all into one mold. Instead, he harnessed their unique strengths — the Greek phalanx, the Persian cavalry, the engineers from conquered lands — and with this union of diversity, he carved an empire that reached the ends of the known world.

Yet Case’s words also carry a warning. For difference without respect is chaos. A team filled with clashing personalities but no spirit of cooperation becomes like a ship with many oars pulling in opposite directions — progress is impossible, and the vessel breaks apart. Thus, the balance must always be kept: learn to get along with others, nurture understanding, but do not fear or suppress difference. Let the uniqueness of each member be channeled toward the common goal.

The lesson is plain: do not shun those who are unlike you. Do not be angered by perspectives that challenge your own. Instead, ask: what strength does this difference bring? What angle have I not seen until another has revealed it? For the wise leader is not the one who seeks followers who echo him, but the one who gathers companions who broaden him. Unity is not uniformity; it is harmony among difference.

Practical wisdom follows. In your own life, whether in work, in family, or in friendship, seek balance between cooperation and individuality. When conflict arises, do not rush to erase difference but strive to understand it. Speak with honesty, listen with patience, and remember that a diamond is not formed of one face but of many facets. Build your team not from those who mirror you, but from those who complete you.

Thus, Steve Case’s words shine as a teaching for all generations: the strength of any team lies in its diversity of perspectives and personalities. Learn to get along, yes, but do not fear difference — cherish it, honor it, and let it shape you. For the river of life flows strongest not when it runs narrow, but when it gathers many streams into its current. Embrace difference, and you will discover true strength.