We should not dispute someone’s opinion, but take into consideration that, if we wanted to talk him out of all the absurdities that he believes, we might grow as old as Methuselah without finishing the task.
We should also refrain from correcting people during conversation, however well-intentioned our remarks may be; for it is easy to offend people; to improve them is difficult, if not impossible.
When the absurdities of a conversation that we happen to overhear start to annoy us, we should imagine that it is a scene in a comedy between two fools. This is well-tried. Anyone who has entered the world to instruct it seriously in regard to the most important matters can count himself lucky to escape unscathed.108
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