Honor your opponent

May you be blessed with the gift of a rival

“Without conflict, there can be no trust. Conflict exists to show us who is there for us unconditionally and who is just there for the benefits. No one trusts a yes-man.”
–Mark Manson

This principle comes from a conversation with Chelsea Larsson.

If you want to share space with other people, conflict is unavoidable. Especially if you value diversity in your communities. Because you most definitely have a bias, you can never fully avoid disharmony. But you can choose one of two paths: Regard your adversary with contempt, or honor your opponent, even as your swords clash in mid-air.

The American Way is to give your enemy a name and eradicate him. It is a populace fractured into countless binaries (Red Vs Blue), and most folks can’t stomach the Other Side. Ain’t it strange that there is nothing the Other Side has to offer? The temptation to eradicate is visceral and real. Smash the patriarchy. Own the libs. Fuck the New York Yankees. But war slogans reduce a complex world into a binary, and …