And there seems to be this obsession with being right.
But does this matter?
It's like. When you cross a zebra crossing. Pedestrians have right of way. But when the car hits. It doesn't really matter. Pedestrians get hurt or killed and the driver gets into some trouble. So sure, the pedestrian is right. But he's now dead. So is being right that important?
Sure after the incident, there's always lawsuits and stuff and all that. So you can sue the driver.
But seriously? Maybe just looking and being careful when you cross the road would be less troublesome.
When I drive, I'm always aware of the vehicles on my side. To me, there's always a dumb possibility that they would want to cut into my lane. So I'm always prepared to brake. Do I have right of way? Yea, sure. But IF for whatever reason they choose to be reckless and cut into my lane, am I dumb enough to accelerate to try to cut off their filtering? NO! Cos it's not important to be right. Just a scratch on each of our cars would be a hassle for the both of us, cos we would have to stop, look at damages, point fingers and all that nonsense. In that split second, all I need to do is lightly tap on my brakes and slow down and I maybe lose 2 seconds but save the potential hassle of a few days of issues.
There are also times when I see service staff argue with customers. Maybe the customer called for coffee with ice, the service staff gave hot coffee. The customer said he ordered coffee with ice, the service staff denies it and an argument ensues. Then I think. Seriously, the staff should just "Oops sorry" and make the ice coffee and serve and move on. Why bother? It's just a simple matter which will pass by in a matter of seconds, but I often see this drag on for a few minutes. Does anyone gain anything? No, not really. Usually, the staff will still have to re-make the ice coffee and serve whatever the customer wants.
Then there are times when you get into heated discussions with friends about some minor things. Like maybe PAP vs WP or Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton or whatever. There are times when it is a neutral discussion. ie, the folks discussing recognize the good/bad in each party or each different view. There is mutual respect and recognition of each other's points. Then there are times when one party takes a firm position for/against one party. And the "discussion" basically becomes one sided that the opposition is always right and the government is always wrong. In such cases, I typically just tend to keep quiet. It is no longer a discussion. And there is no longer any logical discussion to be made. So it doesn't matter who is right or wrong. If the views have already been set from the start, and no amount of logic will make the other party reconsider, then there is no point trying to push the point any further.
So is it so important to be right?
Maybe, maybe not.
Sometimes the cost of being right just isn't worth it.
The point is to pick your battles.
A lot of things aren't important. Wasting your time discussing/persuading others isn't worth the time and effort.
Some things are worth it, like stuff which affects the safety and well being of the people whom you care about.
But I've learnt that many things... well... just let it go. Just 2 seconds of letting it go might lead to a lot more happiness. Highly related to happiness being a decision.
To end, stay safe, look when you cross the road, even if you have right of way.
Let the other car filter in. It's not worth getting into an accident even if you have right of way.
Let the other person win the argument. If you know you're right. And he's unwilling to reconsider, then you can let him continue being ignorant.
“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” -Mark Twain