Post-Opinion Psyche

"Remember you wrote something about the various uses of 'My'? You know - My hand, My house, My city, yada yada?"

...

"Why are you looking like a moronic sheep? You do not remember?"

Uh! I mean, yeah, OF COURSE I remember. I wasn't trying to imitate a moronic sheep, I was just wonder-struck that someone even knew that I had written something like that, leave alone remembering the contents himself!

"Yeah! I do!"

"You know what's the 'My' that people cling to more than, probably, even their lives?"

Ugh! I hate these quiz questions popping up in what should be just a fun conversation. Not that I have had many of the latter with my 'friends'.

"What?" I snapped at him.

"Opinions!"

"No way!"

"Really? Tell me, would you wish me to have a serious accident in order to save your life?"

Right now, I'd wish it just to get rid of his quiz master act! Or...perhaps not...irritating though he was. And...I don't know...I mean if really it was a matter of life and death who knows how I'd behave but I'd like to think that I'd not wish to save my life at the cost of someone else's. I said as much.

"Hmm! Well, then, remember that time you told Sailesh not to drive home when he polished off a half of rum at your place?"

"Yeah! And the bugger laughed at me. And what happened? He went and smashed his car against a lamp-post, was in the hospital for a year and will limp all his life," I said.

"There! See, you still cannot help feeling a tinge of satisfaction at being proved right, can you?"

"I...uh..."

Drat it! I AM cursed with an honesty which has made me useless at managing people.

"THAT's what I mean! Once you express an opinion...anyone, not just you...and especially if it is made fun of by someone, you WANT to be proved right at ANY cost."

"ANY cost? Are you sure?"

"Of course! If you have said that a course of action by your CEO is not correct, and others disagree then you feel triumphant when that course of action screws up your company...even if it costs you your job."

"Hmmm!"

"THAT's why, when someone says if 'X' party wins, the country will go to the dogs AND 'X' party actually DOES win...why then, they actually can end up rejoicing if they see the country going to the dogs after that."

"Ah!"

"There's  no cost that seems too high if it will only allow you to say those magic words."

"What magic words?"

"I TOLD YOU SO"