Last updated on April 1st, 2021 at 02:09 pm
“A wise man told me don’t argue with fools
Cause people from a distance can’t tell who is who”
–Jay-Z, “Takeover”
Reading this blog, you might be led to believe that I’m an idealist. I write of a world that I can only dream of where we all get along and know how to behave. Where the problems of the world are solved collaboratively because we all realize that we have a united stake in bettering our world.
But you’d be wrong—I’m a realist. I’m completely aware that some people are NOT worth our time. You CAN’T win every battle. You WILL have crappy days. The world as it stands right now has its wonders and great moments, but largely, it’s REALLY messed up! Sometimes, it’s just not even worth it.
Like the time I almost got in a fight earlier this year.
I’m not a fighter. I’ve gotten into one fight in my life (excluding the ones with my brothers, of course), and it was in Grade 6 where I fought with a classmate until we were both sent to the office. We got there, it was empty, we settled our differences and went on our way. The other time I came close was when I was in high school (the second one) and almost got in a fight over a misunderstanding, but was saved only through the friendships I made over the course of that year, as I saw a line 15 guys long standing behind me, ready to rumble. The one this year isn’t one I could have stopped on my own, and maybe shouldn’t even have gotten involved with in the first place….
Basically, it involved me, Sarah and one of her friends on the subway and the young drunken construction worker across from us who was trying to engage us in less-than-welcome conversation. He persisted, the friend told him to bugger off, and he got in our faces.
If the subway operator hadn’t intervened, I wouldn’t have started it, but I would’ve definitely tried my best to end it had the need arisen. The entire encounter was pointless, but there are a few lessons I learned from the encounter:
- Some people are just jerks
- Alcohol/drugs don’t make this any better
- The “nice guy” card can only be played so far
Sometimes there’s a need to fight. Sometimes. Oftentimes it’s not worth the effort, though someone might try to goad you into it as much as possible. The next time someone tries to get you into a situation you rather not be in, think it through. Think whether fighting will solve it. Most times, I think the answer’d be “no”.
And if the answer has to be “yes”, well…
…you’d better be damn sure you can win. Because the alternative is never fun.
254/365
