One of the things many modern conservatives need to understand is when to fight and when not to fight. This is especially important when conservatives are obsessed with "punching back" at every attack or every slight, real or imagined. Not every hill is worth dying on.
One of the most absurd reactions is that not fighting back against every slight is "how we got (insert horrifyingly evil thing here)." No, it is not. Getting drawn into a flame war (online or in traditional media) over every insult is not the same as surrendering on critical policy goals. Even on policy, political parties may de-emphasize certain policy goals in order to focus on others, especially where the opposing candidate or party is weak.
Ironically, conservatives think they are imitating President Trump. They are not. President Trump may be obsessed with "punching back" at every slight against him personally, but he understands this strategic concept on policy. Worried that the fallout from the Dobbs v. Jackson decision would imperil his effort to become the only man other than Grover Cleveland to win non-consecutive terms, President Trump de-emphasized and weakened the Republican Party's opposition to abortion.
Politically speaking, it is the personal slights that we should be most willing to let slide. Not all the time, obviously, as sometimes we need to defend our own character or the character of our allies. But it is far more important to move the ball down the field on policy than it is to get drawn into a urinating contest over personalities. Policy wins help the entire country, while fighting over personal slights appeal to our pride and ego. You can guess which is more likely to be sinful.
As I have said countless times, it is not "all or nothing." We must reject the following two extremes: First, we must reject the "principle" to never die on ANY hill. Avoidance of every conflict is very bad, because conflict reveals truth. Second, we must reject the determination to die on EVERY hill. Some battles must be fought, some battles are not worth fighting at all and some must be postponed to later.
Wisdom is knowing when to fight, when not to fight, and when to delay fighting. Humility is knowing we will often be wrong in whatever decision we make, and that we will need to course correct. Life is not a formula that you can plug into a spreadsheet and always get the right answer. Life requires, wisdom, discernment, love, and above all, faith.
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em...
Life is not a formula that you can plug into a spreadsheet and always get the right answer.
