Summing up, if you want people to consider you a useful, truthful source of information, you need to understand being even-handed—treating people with fairness, no matter their perspective or identity—will go a long way toward that end. That includes making sure those from whom you get additional information take the same approach. If you fail act impartially where facts are concerned, count on people not being willing to trust what you say, barring corrective action on your part.

In past, I’ve been willing to appease. At this point in my life, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s almost never a reasonable course. So if you’re getting into, or find yourself already in a situation where appeasement is an integral part, it might be time to consider letting it go.

It’s just not so difficult to grasp. People don’t reach across the aisle, because after years and years taken to decide what they believe and why, they’re not going to be easily swayed to take actions that are in contrast to wisdom gained. What side of the aisle they’re on doesn’t change that. To expect them to act otherwise is to attempt to shift how people view them because they won’t back down, nothing more as a rule.

You may consider ownership to be some sort of wrongheaded world view. I challenge you to consider the little or much you possess being the potential target of the uncouth and uncaring. Where does your right to ownership end, and their right to take that which you’ve carefully worked to keep, begin? For my part, I fully support the idea of private property, not to be taken or used without permission, by those to whom it doesn’t belong.

Do politics belong on LinkedIn and other social media? I contend they do. As with any subject though, the discussion of things in that strata should be respectful and civil. If you cannot manage that, perhaps you shouldn’t voice your opinion.

Here’s the point of this piece though. One of the absolute most important abilities you’ll ever acquire is that of getting some message across to others without boring them to tears or leaving them bewildered as to what you had in mind to purvey. If you can manage that, many other parts of life will suddenly become a good deal simpler.

In the end, the point of this little piece is to indicate that disagreement and argument are not inherently evil or problematic things. They can even be considered necessary ones. Evolution of ideas, even for a single individual is largely predicated on one’s ability to have contentious discourse with others. Arguing that this is some sort of aggression or violence is something that can easily be turned back on the one doing so. Rather, you ought to hear others out, then apply what you know to the best of your ability. In doing so, you may potentially achieve amazing results.

If you think you’re doing anybody a favor by rioting, looting and, destruction, you’re not just lying to yourself, you’re harming people about whom you claim to care in the process. To say nothing of others you’ve never even met, who might seek to be sympathetic to your plight, were it not for your untoward actions.

So, maybe it’s not the total ticket to success when dealing with complex issues. Maybe others can function unerringly without needing to step out, but for me it’s been an invaluable tool in my toolbox. If you find issues at work or in your personal life are leaving you drained and feeling like a failure my suggestion is, for just a while, walk away.