On Arguing / Mental Health

(Posted on bulletins already but making a blog post)

I have never been someone that is easily able to forget things and let things go. I have always found myself in pointless arguments that leave me feeling negative. Recently, in reading about medieval chivalry I stumbled upon a quote by Geoffroi De Charny:

"Above all, avoid quarrels, for a quarrel with one's equal is dangerous, a quarrel with some one higher in rank is madness, and a quarrel with some one lower in rank is a vile thing, but a quarrel with a fool or a drunk is an even viler thing."

Obviously, the language here is very dated, and this is specifically about different ranks in medieval times, but I still find it to be a good quote for today. Recently I had two instances where I found myself in arguments and while I felt like I was right, arguing did nothing good for me, and I felt worse for it. I think we should all reflect on how arguments with different people make us feel: sad, angry, perhaps smug, none of these are good things. As someone that has dealt with depression and found myself in negative mindsets, it is important to reflect on my choices going forward and how they will affect my thoughts.