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On Keeping Your Mouth Shut. Or Not.
The dangers of not talking can be greater than the dangers of saying the wrong thing
Sometimes I just don’t know when to keep my mouth shut…
This article is an extended version of a previously post on Medium
Yesterday I was having a perfectly fine conversation about Formula One racing with a fellow hockey parent when the subject of politics came up. We both criticized Justin Trudeau, a fairly safe opinion in Canada these days. And then like an idiot I asked, “So do you think Trump has a chance in 2024?”
He stared at me for a few seconds and then said, “Do you think he actually lost in 2020?”
I thought maybe he was kidding, but he looked serious. So I responded, “Yes. And by a lot more than what was reported.”
He seemed taken aback by my response and I kicked myself mentally for getting into a conversation about politics with a relative stranger. I was reminded of the saying “Never argue with a fool. They’ll drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”
I steeled myself for an argument — but then, to my surprise, he just said, “Huh.” And he changed the subject.
