Lay Waste!?

okay, question of the day: how much do you jeopardize a friendship over a disagreement? Like one of those disagreements that you actually care about and one which you feel that the other side is being completely irrational on? How much risk do you take on before backing out, being wary of the fact that your friendship might be permanently damaged the next day?

I feel like that's a question that I have not found the answer to, even remotely at all. It's not like I want to lay waste to any friendships I have, but also at the same time I don't know where the boundary lies for the "permanent damage zone." Because after all, if your preferences state that you value what you believe in, and you value the friendship, but you value your friendship more than what you believe in, you should stand your ground until just before the point of reaching the "permanent damage zone," right?

Or should you never even remotely get close to that line? I mean after all chances are if both positions are so firmly engrained in something there's a very slim chance something will change. Should you just leave it be without a fight?

I wish I knew the answer to that question. And hell everyone else probably does, but you know what, I'm just a pretty big fuck-up in the end.

EDIT: At the request of my friend I'm going to put some sort of study on friendship/make this post intellectually intelligent somehow. So with that I would like to grace you with this link which I don't think I've read, w00t:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/health/21well.html

Winners want the ball

I like basketball, but I can't play. I don't know why. I played in prep school and I liked being on the team, but I didn't want the ball and the coach said, "Jed, winners always want the ball." I said, "Coach, winners are also better then I am." He said, "Son, to be a winner, you've got to think like a winner." I said, "Coach, to be a winner, you've also got to be better than I am." Anyway, he was right. Winners want the ball.

- Jed Bartlett, The West Wing

Unfortunately I don't think the excuse "Boys will be Boys" can save us from this one

It's a short post, so I'll just link to it: http://www.predictablyirrational.com/?p=704

Yaaaay to teachers!!!

You know, one day I hope that I'll retire and be able to teach. Granted I had great, decently behaved classmates (aside from that incident with Mrs. Sutton and Mr. Barry, oops!), but in high school my teachers always looked so content in the classroom. They shape lives, educate, AND entertain all in a good day's work.

With that being said I'm glad that Gallup found teachers to be the happiest in their well-being index. What's interesting is that they barely beat out "business owner." I would've thought that business owners would be lower down the list, due to all the stresses, hard work, and hours needed to be one. Plus the job security--don't most small businesses fail? Regardless it's good to see them at the top along with teachers.