No. We don’t. Not always. Maybe not even usually.
“You have to work it out and come together” is something that’s said when two sides are having a disagreement. Maybe it’s Republicans and Democrats, or owners and players, or any two groups you want to plug in there. But we don’t always have to “come together.”
What’s more, not only don’t we have to, I think more often than not we shouldn't. In any disagreement, almost always, “truth” is somewhere between the stances of both sides. I think we can all agree on that. Which is why we are told to “come together.”
But the flaw with that is that, while “truth” is probably between the two sides, it doesn’t mean it’s right smack dab in the middle. Maybe it is, but it also could be 90% to one side. And here’s the trouble. Contrary to what people like to believe, a lot of times there really is a “good guy” and a “bad guy” involved. And the bad guy knows that if he keeps insisting on unreasonable positions, the good guy will try to “come together” and meet him. (Because, of course, he’s a good guy!) So even if truth is 90% toward good guy, bad guy will just dig in and wait for the the position to come to him. And usually it will. Because good guy wants to settle the conflict.
Imagine if in 1939, Hitler and Churchill had just tried to “come together.” Actually, they did try that at first. All of Europe, fresh off a World War, certainly didn’t want another one. So they tried to “come together” with Hitler, and kept making deals and compromises. In those deals, Hitler (bad guy if there ever was one) gave away little. Europe (good guys) gave a lot. But finally all of Europe could see that Hitler was never going to give in at all. That’s when the war started. You can preach about the immorality of war all you want, and I’ll probably mostly agree with you. But the fact is, if Churchill hadn't stood his ground, drawn a line in the sand, Hitler would not have been stopped.
There are times when even the most honest, righteous, and peace-loving person has to make that stand, draw that line in the sand. Churchill did it. Roosevelt did it a few years later. Even Jesus did it with the money changers in the temple. He didn't try to reason with them, make a compromise, and "come together." And I think he was a good guy if there ever was one.
“You have to work it out and come together” is something that’s said when two sides are having a disagreement. Maybe it’s Republicans and Democrats, or owners and players, or any two groups you want to plug in there. But we don’t always have to “come together.”
What’s more, not only don’t we have to, I think more often than not we shouldn't. In any disagreement, almost always, “truth” is somewhere between the stances of both sides. I think we can all agree on that. Which is why we are told to “come together.”
But the flaw with that is that, while “truth” is probably between the two sides, it doesn’t mean it’s right smack dab in the middle. Maybe it is, but it also could be 90% to one side. And here’s the trouble. Contrary to what people like to believe, a lot of times there really is a “good guy” and a “bad guy” involved. And the bad guy knows that if he keeps insisting on unreasonable positions, the good guy will try to “come together” and meet him. (Because, of course, he’s a good guy!) So even if truth is 90% toward good guy, bad guy will just dig in and wait for the the position to come to him. And usually it will. Because good guy wants to settle the conflict.
Imagine if in 1939, Hitler and Churchill had just tried to “come together.” Actually, they did try that at first. All of Europe, fresh off a World War, certainly didn’t want another one. So they tried to “come together” with Hitler, and kept making deals and compromises. In those deals, Hitler (bad guy if there ever was one) gave away little. Europe (good guys) gave a lot. But finally all of Europe could see that Hitler was never going to give in at all. That’s when the war started. You can preach about the immorality of war all you want, and I’ll probably mostly agree with you. But the fact is, if Churchill hadn't stood his ground, drawn a line in the sand, Hitler would not have been stopped.
There are times when even the most honest, righteous, and peace-loving person has to make that stand, draw that line in the sand. Churchill did it. Roosevelt did it a few years later. Even Jesus did it with the money changers in the temple. He didn't try to reason with them, make a compromise, and "come together." And I think he was a good guy if there ever was one.
So next time you see a disagreement, and say in disgust “Why don’t they just put their differences aside and just come together,” keep in mind that there’s a good chance that one side already has done that, and given away much.
It’s funny, that we say we value honesty, integrity, and fairness. Yet in a disagreement, we always brand the one who gives away more as “weak.” When in reality, it’s probably the good guy, in his quest to settle conflict, that has given more. Apparently we actually value dishonesty, cheating, and stubbornness.
Unfortunately.
It’s funny, that we say we value honesty, integrity, and fairness. Yet in a disagreement, we always brand the one who gives away more as “weak.” When in reality, it’s probably the good guy, in his quest to settle conflict, that has given more. Apparently we actually value dishonesty, cheating, and stubbornness.
Unfortunately.
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