A No Win Situation By Paul Chappell share on Facebook share on Twitter forward to a friend Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 "If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest." Proverbs 29:9 Some three hundred years before the birth of Christ, a Greek king named Pyrrhus of Eiprus was trying to resist the invading Roman armies. Pyrrhus was a gifted tactician, and he was able to defeat the Romans twice during what came to be known as the Pyrrhic War. But though he was victorious, his armies suffered very heavy casualties. According to Plutarch, when he congratulated Pyrrhus on his victory after the second battle, he said without joy that one more such victory would utterly undo him. Some battles are simply not worth winning. Anyone who has interacted with a fool understands this truth. No matter what you do—how carefully you plan your words, how logically your arguments are, or how right your position may be—the fool simply will not listen. You cannot convince such a person because they are not willing to listen to wisdom and truth. No communication strategy is effective—neither humor nor anger will make your point. There is a saying among businesses that deal with outside inspection and licensing: “Arguing with an inspector is like wrestling a pig in the mud. Sooner or later you figure out that the pig enjoys it.” The same is true when we find ourselves forced to deal with fools. None of us have complete control over our lives. We cannot completely avoid having to deal with foolish people. But when you recognize that as the situation you face, remember that you are facing a no win situation. The best course of action is to end the conversation as quickly as possible and spend your time with those who are willing to learn and teach wisdom. Today’s Proverbs Precept: Surround yourself with wise men and women, and spend as little time arguing with fools as possible.
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 22:52:42 +0000
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