Smedley Butler

War is a racket. It always has been... A few profit - and the many pay. But there is a way to stop it. You can't end it by disarmament conferences. You can't eliminate it by peace parleys at Geneva. Well-meaning but impractical groups can't wipe it out by resolutions. It can be smashed effectively only by taking the profit out of war.

American Soldier

H. P. Lovecraft

Denied anything ardently desired, the individual or state will argue and parley just so long - then, if the impelling motive be sufficiently great, will cast aside every rule and break down every acquired inhibition, plunging viciously after the object wished; all the more fantastically savage because of previous repression.

American Novelist

Margaret of Valois

It is the same in love as in war; a fortress that parleys is half taken.

French Royalty

Parley is formal and often used in historical or official contexts.

Formality Level

Parleys typically occur at a neutral location to ensure fairness.

Neutral Ground

A parley is often a temporary pause in conflict for talks, not the end.

Temporariness

When you parley, you're actively trying to resolve disagreements.

Seeking Agreement

Parleying may be a first step before formal agreements or treaties.

Preliminary Step

To parley can depict a strategy of diplomacy over hostility.