Quote #45

“Don’t ever wrestle with a pig. You’ll both get dirty, but the pig will enjoy it.”
– Cale Yarborough

Today’s quote comes from a deep-south tobacco farmer turned NASCAR driver who has been married for over 50 years to the same woman, operates a car dealership, and named one of his three daughters B.J. because… well…

Yeah. I think we can all accept that this may be one of the most incredibly wise men to ever walk the face of the planet.

Regardless of the man’s credentials, this quote is as true as anything I’ve ever posted on here, and it can have serious ramifications for confrontational types.

I am reminded of this quote tonight because on a social network I saw the following (I’d cite the source, but it’s typed into a low-resolution image, and the source part is too small to read):

There are some people who always seem angry and continuously look for conflict. Walk away;  the battle they are fighting isn’t with you, it is with themselves.

My parents taught me that principle, and it has helped me tremendously throughout life. Additionally, through that understanding I have been able to help others recover from rough encounters with various incarnations of “pigs” in our society.

I was taught that it takes two to tango. An argument or fight cannot breathe without two people pumping fuel into it.

I am often criticized for being anti-confrontational. If someone wrongs me, I am sometimes scoffed by onlookers as I walk away. “You going to let that guy do that to you? You should punch his lights out.” “He just called you a(n) _______. You’re just going to walk away?”

Why would I give someone who insults or wrongs me the pleasure of watching as I ruin my own day over their actions? If they are so full of deceit, hate, anger, bitterness, and other bad feelings, then I pity them. But I do not need to pay them any heed.

Choose your battles wisely. Walk away from those who seek conflict with you. Stop yourself from retorting every flawed argument. Cut the oxygen supply off when you see a fight brewing. And seriously, don’t ever wrestle with a pig.