Wasted time is a pet peeve of mine. I'm retired and I don't have time to waste. That is not to say that all time be spent in productive pursuit. On occasion there is nothing better or wiser to do than study the clouds, look for a rainbow or chase a butterfly.
Wasted time is agreeing to allow oneself into a cul de sac in conversation, in which there is no outlet, except the one you took going in. During an election/campaign period, it's particularly easy to get caught up with someone who is totally opposite your point of view. Many retirees feel passionately about politics. And that passion renders us absolutely unmovable by reason, logic, thought, consideration, fact of seeing any other position or concept. If you enjoy merry go round conversations, much like riding one, then go ahead and try to convert. But if you expect opinions that have developed over many decades to change, (that includes your own, by the way!) the genuine give and take communication about passionate topics often is futile.
Take the religious fundamentalist/literalist whose motto seems to be: "God said it, I believe it and that settles it." Not much room for exchange of ideas.
This past week I have been in an undisclosed location. One day while driving, I flipped on the radio. I hit the seek button and went through every FM station. All I picked up was a series of preachers of various stripes, mostly decrying those who don't believe like they believe.
Later, I went to the AM Band and there I found much the same thing, mostly right wing talk show pundits discussing politics. Like the preachers, they proclaimed that those who don't agree with them are wrong. Now, that is what I call wasted time. So I turned off the radio.
When discourse is reduced to yelling and calling names and putting down, it is not discourse. My recourse is to refuse to waste any time. Trying to move an immovable object creates only one thing: frustration.
I don't try to attempt the impossible any longer. I've never found reason among unreasonable people.
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