This is an extension of my video. There are things that are easier to put into words, but most people are idiots and need video content to understand things, and that’s the way the world works now, so I made both: content for YouTube and a thing for here.
First of all: the main reason I don’t argue with anyone is because it’s a waste of energy. I could be using that time to read one of the many books I have on my list. Life isn’t infinite: we all die at the end. That is a fact I’m constantly aware of in my mind at all times, and the weight of all my decisions depends on that one outcome. All of this comes to an end, so if someone starts an argument with me, I don’t really see a point in continuing the chain of negativity and giving them fuel to go on. In the past, I have made the mistake of trying to educate morons, which is something I now regret. At my last job, for example, my boss was a racist, manipulative scumbag. When I articulated that, he obviously didn’t see it that way, and I was insane for thinking I could get someone so old and moronic to change. You can’t really teach a dumb person anything unless they actively want to change, most of them are happy to be set in their ways (especially if they’re old, that just makes most people more confident in their learned idiocy).
Two: most of the time, arguing doesn’t accomplish anything. The funny thing about people is that we all have our egos tied to whatever it is we say and do. What that means is that arguing is usually not what the argument is about, it could also be about something as trivial as what the person who has started the argument ate for lunch that day, how they feel inside about their spouse, etc etc. So when two people are arguing, it’s generally not for the purpose of coming to some kind of fruitful conclusion. It’s for the purpose of helping each side feel better or smarter about themselves in some way. That is not a game I have any interest in playing personally.
Three: that word “smarter” leads me to my final point. Most people that start arguments with me or say mean things, etc, are generally people I find to be unintelligent. I don’t think I am some kind of genius, in fact I often have very slow days in which I’m just as idiotic as anyone else. I have brain hiccups like everyone. But being on the fringes of socializing and humanity, I have also noticed a pattern: the types of people that tend to start arguments or get hostile with me are also not the same types of people who give thoughtful responses. They are coming from a dark place of unintellectual, selfish, ego-driven thought patterns, and this limits them from seeing other sides.
In conclusion, the best solution I have found when dealing with argumentative, toxic people is: simply tell people they are right, and go about your belief as it was before this person entered your life. 9/10, most people just want a pat on the back for “being right.” This person will go on with their day feeling better about themselves, and you will go about your day knowing the truth — that you’re smarter than them, superior in mind and soul, and you saved a bunch of time and energy. It’s a win-win that way. There is really nothing to be gained from arguing with someone and attempting to change their minds: the likelihood of that happening is very slim.
The other big solution I’ve found to people who like fighting and wasting your time is to simply stop interacting with them if necessary. I have put this one into practice more in my adult life as I have gotten older, and I feel very mentally healthy because of it. With the time I’ve saved cutting off contact with negative, shit people in my life, I’ve created a whole window of life in which I can get more projects done, read books written by people much smarter than anyone who has ever started an argument with me, and re-watch Scorsese movies. One thing you cannot purchase is TIME. Jeff Bezos has it all, but he can’t buy time. By cutting out people that are a net negative, you have only good things to gain.
Good luck, stay healthy, exercise, drink water, eat kale, shit gold !