The Washington times., 1907-09-02
Friendship Often Broken by
" HaVfag tie Last Word

Did you ever stop 10 think whether
there was any real satisfaction In IAN
swering back?" We al do IL at times,
! know, but a mulish persistence In
having the last word never helped
TO heal any breach Of friendship nor
cut short a quarrel To the contrary.
we simply Increase the irritation OF
the moment. and prolong a situation
that should not be allowed to con-
tinue.
OF course, in the end, one person or
the other does get the last word, but
In a real out and out quarrel, which,
by the way, is about one of the slllleSt
things two people can indulge in, there
IS rarely satisfaction in this achieve
ment- If by 1t our adversary has been
convinced or seen the error Of her
ways, one would positively wish for
feathers to preen in JOY. Instead of this.
however. we know that our last word
has merely been another demOnstra-
ton Of our disagTeeablenes, and but
added to the Obstinacy OF The ether
There is taken away that healing pos
sibiltty Of any quarrel agreeing TO dis
agree" which might have been allow
ed if each had not hung on with Eu!I-
dog pertnacity for the last word and
answered back till each is at point
OF ceasing TO speak at all
One OF the delights Of well Tained
minds is to argue, and between sucil
arguments and the disagTeementS or
NOung people there is a very wide tIl-
ference. The latter, being imDuisIvs and
enthusiastic, each at the Same time con-
WINGED that she is right, speedily pro
coed To enunCiate opinions as facts.
and q friendly difference becomes Il
quarrel if It is not soon checked.
II is ~ no means necessary 10 agree
ALWAYS with each and all ones friends,
but Il is most important when dlsagree-
ing TO keep ones temper well IN hand
and to remember that after al, II IS a
most trifing matter whether or not the
other is brought around TO one opinion.
To convince another is, for some occult
reason, most difficult. possibly because
human nature. being frail, hates to ad-
nit itself in the wrong. But II IS Oy no
means necessary that the other should
be convinced If she does not wish 10 be.
1t is enough that one Is right WlJhOut
hguratively batting the other over the
head to make her admit IT, Drop the
matter If after a few minutes your
theories or opinions have produced no
results. It is even worth While some
times to pretend 10 agree, for, after all,
isn't II better to give up IN TINS way
and have general sfriendliness than ag-
gressively to stick to something that Is
of itself most tTivial2
A most philosophical young woman
was telling me not long ago that she
had quite given over trying to change
the opinions Of her friends about every
thing. even when II was a matter that
could be demonstrated with paper and
pencil. cit is enough for me to know
that I am right" she concluded. IT
doesn't trouble me in the least that they
persist in being wrong. so / just drop
the matter. and no feelings are hurt.
There is a good deal Of wisdom in this
conclusion, and that lit works well ]
know, for the girl is popular with every
one All viii tell you that she has posi-
tive opinions. but that she doesn't try
10 force them down the Threats OF
ut eli
accused Of deceitfulness when she
doesn't enter into violent arguments.
One must stand up for a principle and
hold fast to what one knows is right
when IL concerns the real matters OF
life but most of thes things that people
quarrel about are not worth thinking
of a second time and the difference is
increased and aggravated by an obsti-
nate, If unconscious, desire 10 have The
last word. Adopt the philosophy of the
wise girl, and let il be enough for you
10 know that you are right, letting the
other wander in outer darkness Of error
II she prefers.