Every once in a while, a small gem of wisdom bubbles up from that vast morass of anger, despair and self-promotion known as the Internet.  One such nugget introduces us to two friends discussing how, best, to avoid getting drawn into an ugly debate when someone says something intended to provoke.  Their conversation goes like this:

Friend 1:  What do you do when someone says something to you that is clearly wrong or is intended to cause an argument?

Friend 2:  Simple.  I just say “You are right.”

Friend 1:  Well, that is the stupidest thing I ever heard.  You are a fool for responding that way!

Friend 2:  You are right.

And there it is!  A quick and painless way to deflect someone whose intent is to goad another into an argument … and if you are like me, political squabbles and fruitless consequent debates are the very last things in which I want to engage.  This is not to suggest that I have no interest in the many issues that confront us all, but engaging someone with a closed mind is, to my way of thinking, likely to yield only frustration, damaged friendships and, in some cases, family estrangement.

It is important to pause here, for a moment, and underline the fact that this “You are right” conversational strategy … obviously … is not suitable in every situation.  For example, in those cases where someone expresses views that are racist, sexist, anti-semitic or supportive of violence, the only appropriate response would be to object or simply walk away.  Sad to say, we have all seen examples of how perilous it can be to confront someone with deeply held fringe views and a loose rein on their emotions.

For the “run of the mill” flat-earth proponent or the football fan who declares that “The Dallas Cowboys Suck,” though, a simple “You are right” can save a lot of time and energy.  And there is, by the way, a kernel of truth in that observation about the Cowboys!

Anyone acquainted with a “dyed-in-the-wool” Cowboys devotee knows that should he come upon that last critical remark he would, no doubt, rise in protest.  And while labelling me a heretic for besmirching “America’s Team,” he would likely go on to attribute my irreverence to the fact that I am nothing more than a transplanted New Yorker with little respect for that storied franchise.  In the face of such vitriol, there can be only one satisfactory response:

You are right.