Compromise

Compromise is a negotiation process whereby an agreement is reached by mutual concessions with both parties giving in to each other's demands. In a compromise, both parties have to be willing to give up some of their benefits for the well-being of both of them in the end by obtaining even more benefits. However, the process of negotiating compromises could be tough as either party could be reluctant to sacrifice some of their benefits just to obtain other benefits from the other party because they think they are on the losing side.

Some compromises may involve the bending of law, for example, when a person is caught by a police officer for doing something illegal, that person may be able to bribe the police officer with money and the police officer might let him off for his personal benefits of earning easy money. This could be common in countries where the security is not tight. Other compromises, however, do not involve the bending of law, for example, when a child finishes his homework, his parents may give him free time to do whatever he wants.

More examples of compromises are available in To Kill a Mokingbird, which is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is taught by Atticus that compromise is not bending the law, however. This is to stop Scout from using Burris Ewell as an example to not go to school. Burris Ewell is introduced as a special case to Scout, because the Ewells were simply not like the citizens of Maycomb County. Even so, Scout is still introduced to even more compromises involving the bending of law. For example, at the end of the story, Bob Ewell was killed by Boo Radley when Boo was trying to save Scout and Jem. The law would have required Boo to be placed on trial to determine if he had killed Bob Ewell for self-defense or not. However, Boo was not placed on trial so that he would not experience public attention, when he did not do anything wrong (He was like a mockingbird who did not do anything wrong as well). The laws were then bent to protect Boo from being placed on trial.