A short story from everyday life: "Pointing at the Moon"

　　If the timing isn't right, you don't need to say a word; it's pointless anyway. I've truly come to understand this now. A family member asked me which year was the worst for her. She mentioned the Year of the Dog, the Year of the Snake, etc. A thought struck me, and I felt I should say something, so I smiled and said, "Oh, it seems my perspective is a little different from yours."

　　She became interested and asked which year I meant. I replied with a Zen-like answer: "It's simple! The year you're most unhappy in is the worst year for you."

　　However, she didn't grasp my meaning and kept arguing about words and phrases, which was incredibly tiring… Here's a rough summary of the conversation:

　　Family member: "Hey, you're saying something different from what I said. I said the Chinese zodiac." Me: "I'm answering your question!" Family member: "So when you say you're unhappy, it's just for one day, you're talking about the whole year, right?" Me: "That's not necessarily true! I mean there are always unhappy moments in that year." Family member: "But I haven't had a year that unhappy!" Me: "That's just hypothetical." Family member: "Even hypotheticals should be realistic!" Me: Yes, but my assumption doesn't hinder your reality! My family member is a bit confused: My reality doesn't hinder your assumption either! Me: Then why are you using your so-called reality to argue with me? Family member: You were the one who said your assumption didn't hinder my reality first. Me: Yes, that's right. Family member: So I said my reality doesn't hinder your assumption either! Me: Then why are you using your so-called reality to hinder my perfectly reasonable assumption? Family member: You should become a lawyer... I silently picked up my phone~ I was gently pointing at the moon, why are you only looking at my finger? Actually, many times, talking to people with different values and on completely different levels of thinking can be very tiring. Feel free to leave a comment below if you've had similar experiences! Hehe