There’s a bizarre tendency in humans to want to assert ourselves over each other. We get competitive. We want to prove our intelligence. We want to flag our own personal views as the best.
Sadly, we do it quite often with friends, people we like.
Some friends seem unlosable. You take for granted that they will keep being your friend so it can be easy to mouth off.
You have a discussion, and explore a difference of opinion. It can start out casual. Little by little, you parade your thoughts. Pride creeps in. Rebuttals start becoming cheap shots. You want to crush the source of your friend’s inferior opinion.
And the conversation deteriorates so gradually that you don’t realise how dangerous it has become.
There is nothing wrong with discussing a difference of opinion, as long as you can be content with differences in opinion. The world isn’t one where everyone thinks alike, it never will be. This variety is both frustrating and fascinating.
Exchange views without being so proud that you assume your friends need to adopt your opinions. Winning the argument is nowhere near as important as you think it is in the moment.
Sometimes you can win an argument and lose a friend.
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