Road not taken

Road Not Taken

“I prefer friendship over logic. What about you?” My friend asked me. This question might seem tricky but to me the answer was simple - friendship.

This brief conversation made me think of the new trend in this world. These days, friendships are broken when a person crosses the limit while arguing to prove his logic to his companion. Close relationships become distant when one of the parties refuse to accept the fact that their logic was proven wrong by the other.

I fail to understand why people would break their long friendship over a petty argument. I have seen many people who do not care about such feelings when it comes to proving the accuracy of their statement. I do not know the reason. It could be because they want to feel superior in front of their friends. Or maybe they are afraid that if their friend would win, they would be embarrassed.

Whatever be the reason, I personally would not like to win any round of argument if that would cost my friendship. Even if I was right, I would first notice how delicate the friendship was at that point. I feel it is much better to lose an argument and preserve your friendship than to gain victory at the cost of your friendship.

The pleasure you earn when you protect your friendship and your ties with your friend is much better than the pleasure you would have by winning the argument. I just hope that people realise this and take precautions so that this golden treasure can be theirs, eternally.

I would suggest that when asked to choose from two roads, one marked friendship and the other marked logic, choose the former because that is the road less taken. 

This will make the difference, just as the famous American poet, Robert Frost has suggested in his poem, the Road Not Taken,

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

(Published in The Gulf Today on May 28, 2016)