How not to avoid an argument

At the GNU Public Dictatorship we are nothing if not concerned with your domestic bliss, which is why from time to time we share some ideas to improve your relationships. Today's lesson is on how not to avoid an argument, and is based on Timothy Ray Sutton's recent experiences.

Mr. Sutton had a problem: he had given away money to someone less fortunate than himself, but he didn't think his wife would approve of his action. He had several choices, too. He could (1) tell the truth and face the consequences, (2) claim that he lost the $5 in question, or (3) claim that the money had been taken from him. In the interest of analysis we will theorize about the likely consequences of each action before moving on to Mr. Sutton's choice. If he chose to tell the truth chances are his wife would probably be angry and give him an earful. If he chose to claim that the $5 were misplaced, his wife would probably be angry and give him an earful. If he chose to claim that the money was stolen his wife would probably be sympathetic but might give him an earful for letting himself get robbed. She also might ask him to file a report with the police.

We think that most people when faced with this choice would realize that the predictable consequences, although negative, of the first two choices would be preferable to the possibly disastrous consequences of the third choice, but we also understand that the prospect of sympathy (even if it is just a possibility) can be a big draw. Unfortunately for him, Mr. Sutton chose the third choice. We don't know the details of the exchanges between him and his wife, but we do know that he chose to file a report with the police.

Most people would have realized that the police might be able to prove that no robbery occurred and would be reluctant to complicate the situation, but, presumably to avoid an argument, Mr. Sutton did just that. The police decided that his report was untrue and filed charges, transforming the $5 argument he would have had into a $1000 bond argument.

The bottom line is that we, the Board of Dictators, believe that attempting to scheme to avoid an argument is more likely a path to creating a larger argument down the road, and, unless you intend on ending your relationship before it hits the fan we recommend that you choose the simpler options that will not complicate the situation. We hope this exercise has been beneficial!