Compassion Vs Conflict

It’s that time of year again. You know where we like to pretend everything is ok until New Year's Day when we go back to our true nature.

This year feels different though. It feels a little more icky. On every social media platform, people are arguing about something. #MarsInGeminiRetrograde

Some things are important like missing children, mental health, and so on.

Other things are hella petty though. And it got me thinking: Why choose conflict over compassion?

We all desire to be heard, and we should be, but we have to remember that our different life experiences “season” our belief systems. And when we choose to have a planted stance on everything, we will never hear each other.

Now there are some things that you will never convince me of, like Thanksgiving deserving more than its one day in November. Nope. Christmas season starts 1 Nov, runs through the day before Thanksgiving, starts back up the day after, and continues until someone takes down the decorations. (Depending on where I’ve lived, that is usually when the snow and ground have thawed enough for me to get to them. LOL) This discussion falls into the “two places I ain’t going: back and forth and L&D” category.

Other things I try to lend a compassionate ear to, because while I may not know your struggle, your struggle is still valid, and I never want to be the “It could be worse” person. (These types of people are just ugh to me.)

Some conversations are dead ends. Neither party is interesting in a perspective shift. They just want to prove a point or convince the other person that their view is the end all be all, and we know that ain’t the case.

As a point of reflection for 2022, look back on discussions where your purpose was to prove a point. Were you compassionate or combative? Playing Devil's Advocate when he don't need one? Being contrary just for the sake of being contrary?

How did that work out in the end?

I can be as stubborn as they come, but I'm trying not to shut down a conversation just because of differing opinions. However "comma" when it because obvious that the conversation has become a battleground and folks start talking wreckless, I remember the two places I ain't going and respond according...

Prayerfully minus the eye roll 🤣 #peaceonearth, right?