It was Father’s Day today, which means the entire family gathered at my grandparents’ house for lunch. Of course, “entire” is such a relative term. Half the family had to work and couldn’t come, 1/4 randomly didn’t show up, and yet another percentage best not show their faces in this county again because someone would kill them, then go to work on them…
Anyhow, one constant with these “mini-reunions” is that at some point we’ll get into family politics. Who’s done what, who’s moving where, etc. etc. Most of the time we have a united opinion on things, but occasionally there are mixed feelings and emotions expressed.
During these mixed sessions, I prefer to sit back and observe. The observant third party can easily sit back and start to see the lines form early on in the conversation, whereas the person who’s getting more and more hot-headed as the topic progresses is too wrapped up in the matter to notice. They can’t see the forest for the trees, as it were.
Even if I do feel strongly about a topic personally, I rarely chime in with my opinion. I mean, honestly, what is the point of getting all worked up in an argument? If the opposite party is confident enough in their decision and stance to argue with you in the first place, then the chances of you actually changing their mind, regardless of the legitimacy of your claims, is virtually non-existent.
Besides, it’s often much more fun to sit back and watch the situation unfold before you with an objective eye for both sides. Only then can you truly come out of the argument and form your own opinion based on all the cool logical facts.
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