“I am at the stage of life where I stay out of discussions.
Even if you say 1+1=5.
You’re right, have fun.”
-Keanu Reeves
Stop arguing.
Arguing is pointless.
Like Keanu Reeves, I no longer argue. That wasn’t always the case. There was a time when I could argue politics until I worked myself up into a frenzy. I would run logic dry and begin ranting out of control on pure emotion.
With age comes wisdom, and now I won’t take the bait; I refuse to argue.
Arguing does not work. Have you ever won an argument where someone stopped and said: “Wow! You know what? YOU are right, and I WAS WRONG!”
If that ever did happen, chances are, on their drive home, they realized how false your points were. Then, they returned to their original position.
Arguing will not change someone’s mind; it has the opposite effect. They find a hill to stand on, dig their heels into the ground, and defend their opinion to the death.
The result of an argument is usually only hard feelings on both sides. That’s an excellent way to hurt a friendship.
No one enjoys being wrong or made to look stupid.
Strong opinions are usually emotional. Most people have never taken the time to consider in depth why they believe what they believe. They will resent you for trying to make them think.
Many people get their identity from their opinions. Attacking their opinion is attacking them. It’s personal.
“I am a Lib Democrat.”
“I am a Second Amendment guy.”
“This is who I am. I get my identity and self-worth from being part of this group.”
This is sad. We are so much more than our opinions.
“View opinions as things you hold in a box.”
View opinions as things you hold in a box.
If we find evidence an opinion is incorrect, we throw it away and replace it with a better idea.
We are separate from our opinions. We have no ego investment in them. They are something we use to make sense of the world.
We hold them and discard them when they are no longer helpful.
Opinions can, and often should, change over time.
That’s okay.
