The Invisible Line
I’ve done social experiments with people. And I know that there is an invisible line of limit that one should not cross when interacting with others. We all know more or less about this, and regardless of friends or Co-workers, this limit exists. Sort of like personal boundaries that no one likes when crossed.
I had the bad luck of experiencing what happens when someone crosses that line. It’s embarrassing and hurtful to see things go wrong with someone who you thought trusted you; until they didn’t, just because something you said hurt them. And you probably never thought that it would end like this.
This is how friendships can end. You cannot force your perspective on someone else. Whether it be regarding your goals, what you want from life, and how you wish to see yourself some years later, or even if it is just your opinion — not everyone should have the same priorities as you do. And most people won’t take it lightly if your perspective insults theirs and you brag about it in front of them. Many things are relative. What we want from life — peace/money/fun; are also relative. People keep changing in various stages of their life, and their priorities also change. It is important that you, as a friend or a person interacting with another person, understand their ambitions and don’t belittle or undermine it in order to keep your social relations intact.
This can be compared to consents. And consents are of various kinds. Does someone give you the authority to talk about their job? Does someone give you the audacity to insult their beliefs or religion? Should you speak ill of someone they admire? Knowingly or unknowingly, these are signs that you don’t care about your social relationships with that person and, at times, may even seem cynical. It should be your responsibility to know about the person, their preferences, and what they dislike if you really think your social relationship with them matters to you.
And it is always better to not cross the line when expressing your opinions to someone, and you see them giving hints that they don’t like to talk about it and what you’re saying is contradictory to them.
Because sometimes, some relationships matter more than trying to prove that you’re right. Just a bit of rudeness can change your relationship with a person forever because they probably didn’t expect it from you and would never do that to you.