Agreeing to Disagree

A comment was published on Opinionjournal.com today that hints at my own approach to friendship. And by extending its message to the blogosphere, it helps explain what I am inclined to post on and why I may appear to ignore certain ‘worthy’ items.

Robert Toth writes:

“Just before Thanksgiving 2002, I wrote an essay on this Web site about how to get along with buddies whose politics were the opposite of yours. My advice, which seemed simple at the time, was to remember that friendships aren't wars. You're allowed to cut people some ideological slack if you love and trust them.
…
Even as the arguments get uglier, I'm sticking to my original course. In fact, I think it's more important than ever for friends to see beyond partisan bickering and remember the bonds they share. But I've learned that my approach carries an enormous drawback: You can't do it alone. It's easy to decide that you're going to put ideology to one side for the sake of a relationship. But you're out of luck if the other person doesn't agree to do the same.”

(Please read the entire piece, featuring examples of how his friendships have suffered and benefited from this advice.)

It really is all about picking your battles. And as the holiday season approaches, I hope that we all continue to embrace this truism. Once in a while, even as we debate and disagree, we can afford to cut each other some slack. I’ll do my part.

jo