In My Own Dignified Time

Yesterday, in a restaurant, I was talking calmly about spirituality, to someone who had engaged me in conversation. After a
while, a third person, at another table, joined in, and soon, I became an observer of the other two as they spoke. It didn't
take long before I started to notice, what I call "ego surges" from the self invited newcomer to the discussion, with the other man involved, being forced into a defensive position...made me wonder how "spiritual" this approach was to the topic of
spirituality. I've noticed this agressive tendency, I was witnessing, before. It has even become enshrined in debating societies
of various kinds. It seems to be an effort to seek domination over another, by force of argument or personality. My own
preference about learning from others, is not to do so, when they've placed a boot firmly on my throat, and are trying to make me submit to their "superior" intellect or power. It is, instead, to process what someone has said, in my own dignified time, and then accept or reject it, as I see fit. For this reason, yesterday, I quickly became a non-participant in what I saw beginning to unfold. Within minutes, I got up, turned to the two getting involved with each other, and said, with a smile and with my arms outstretched, "Blessings"...then went on my way...leaving what seemed to me to be...one more piece of ego play...behind me. Quester.