Communication is the cornerstone of all civilizations. Yet, we haven’t developed a perfect language (such as telepathy) that would allow errorless communication. Every so often, we lack the proper words to express our ideas and emotions. Other times we simply choose not to understand. It is very frustrating when people play dumb or straight up ignore you. It is a deep-cutting form of disrespect that feels worse than people talking over or interrupting you. Because that way, you at least know they don’t care about what you have to say. For that reason, I avoid arguing with most people. What are you going to get from an argument with your colleague? “A BMW is totally better than a Mercedes, dude” Cool, you spent 20 minutes convincing a stranger about your opinion, and you get what exactly? A good feeling? That’s it? It would be a different story if that time led to a sale or something else productive.

Having the same banter with a friend is a little different, of course. I’m just saying that arguing with people is generally not worth your time.

Beware of cognitive dissonance

It is good to keep in mind that the human mind is flawed. We are susceptible to various cognitive biases and mental shortcuts. Cognitive dissonance is a great example of our natural resistance towards new ideas and opinions. If you clash with someone’s deeply held belief, they are less likely to even debate about your conflicting idea.

Great example are smokers. They are aware that their habit is ruining their health, but they are addicted to the nicotine and don’t want to go through withdrawals. So, they will make all sorts of mental gymnastics why it is okay to keep smoking.