Sure, you know carnival games are rigged. You don’t expect to win…or do you?
Funny thing…communication can be just like a carnival game. It looks like it’s all above board, but there’s a serious “shadow agenda” lurking below the surface. And this is in setting among friends and family. It’s so much worse if there’s an element of malice.
You may be naïve enough to think both parties in the convo are seeking the truth. This can be so far from the truth. People are ALWAYS pushing for some sort of edge or agenda. Not necessarily that it’s a devious agenda, but it ain’t just seeking pure truth. If you keep slinging rings to land on coke bottles–that’s on you. You know there’s a 1 in a million chance it’s gonna land, but still, it’s fun.
But if you keep entertaining discussions without being cognizant of underlying forces working against you…well, I guess that’s on you too.
The beauty is…you don’t have to be a jerk about it. If you can spot these agenda-driven comments, you can just point them out. At this point you might even hand over another quarter just because you’re okay letting the other person win.
But at least it was your move.