Aging with Grace

She did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition.

Sense and Sensibility
Jane Austin 

 I find as I become older I am less inclined engage in discussions I realize will go nowhere. Someone with more time than I can wage this war. You’ve probably been there. You’re talking to someone who you realize is not going to change their mind no matter what you say. If you’re valiant enough to fight on hoping against hope that something you say will suddenly cause this person to see the light, I admire your tenacity. I tend to wave a white flag and give up.

The political times we are in today makes this even more apparent. This was brought to mind while reading a comment on Facebook written by someone who by all accounts is well-educated. It goes something like this, “ Yes, I understand that there is an abundance of information confirming what you’ve said and I believe it’s true. However, I am going to chose to disregard it.” What? This comes from a person I know professionally. He held an important position in a large company. This is where alarm bells start going off and I realize, if I am not careful, I will enter into a situation that will be a waste of my time. There is no argument that is going to make a dent in this person’s thinking. Sometimes the best thing might be to use our energy trying to make a difference where we think we can be successful rather than to waste it where we never will.