Part of my story is that I gave up a National Merit Scholarship and quit college to go figure out who I was other than an obnoxious brainiac. I grew up in a school system that shaped me to have no friends and then lord it over everyone else that "I'm smarter than you!" as the only ego defense I had available in the face of tremendous amounts of social rejection and negativity. I'm satisfied with some of the big pictures outcomes and it is clear in my mind that my choice to walk away from all that was critical to being able to get my life to work. I know people who didn't walk away from something similar, have similar sets of problems to mine, and aren't getting them resolved the way I am getting mine resolved. So I think I did the right thing.

I have seen many people who were so invested in "being smart" or "being right" that they just couldn't let go of an argument and couldn't give up habitually arguing with people when there was a huge social downside for doing so and no real upside that I could tell. I used to be more argumentative than I am now. My life works better now that I am clearer about when to just shut up and walk away.

I hope that makes some sense to you.