Do you entertain BS to keep the peace or stick with fact & truth no matter what?

Mix it up 50/50 and let them guess.

I am satisfied if I know the truth. I used to beat myself against the bars of people’s indifference to the truth. It was very unsatisfactory.

Now, I am content knowing the truth, and content that others do not know it or at least do not acknowledge it.

I rock the boat every time. That’s why so many people hate me.

Well, one of the reasons.

GQ, btw.

It depends on how hungover I am.

right now I’m just too tired to deal with bs so I generally leave it until the repeat offense

I pick my battles, I stand up for what I believe in if I think I can make a difference or make people think but if I feel tht there is absolutely no point then I save my energy!

I balance the need for 100% accuracy with my need to not argue over pointless shit.

Sometimes a well-place question to the water cooler quarterbacks is effective. Other times, when I have my one-on-one with my manager, I will tell her that “there seems to be some concern over___” and she usually tells me what’s what. I generally try to avoid the naysayers, get information from as high up as I can, and keep it to myself.

Meh, by me telling them what I see as the truth, I don’t think it’s any different from them thinking they know the truth. Such is the work environment in most places…despite what one thinks they know and how black sheep they think they are, there’s always someone to agree.
So I wouldn’t know.

I mostly just talk about zombies anyway.

@Merriment If something is office or neighborhood poison that will just spread if the bobbleheads spreading the rumors are not countered by the facts in any way, would that be as bad as letting embers smoldering in a wood pile because it is too much trouble to go get a bucket of water because it is not a fire yet? Rumor and such can become a cancer sucking many people into it that had no idea it was there when it started out.

@Hypocrisy_Central – That depends on how big a conflagration the embers could spark. In my answer I’m talking about the pointless shit that is usually the fodder for the water cooler chat. Most of that talk is just hot air. After all, if those people were in a position to “make” something happen they probably wouldn’t be venting at the cooler.

If there is a “real” issue at stake then the scales would (and have) tip (ped) towards speaking my truth.

I bear in mind though that one thing I have learned about gossip is that it likely won’t be halted by or even modified by an application of facts. People believe what they want to believe. Does it “hurt” to try? Sometimes.

Saying nothing at all can rob the situation of the air it needs to grow and smother the embers more effectively than attempting to “douse” it with the cool water of reason. Why? Because they will just move to the lunch room and avoid you as an audience to avoid getting wet but the talk will continue. And arguing with them is only fanning the flames with the fresh air of your own arguments.

And that being the case I would be pretty selective about which issues I would address and which issues I would walk on by.

@Merriment. I had what I thought was a good answer until I saw your original answer (I balance the need for 100% accuracy with my need to not argue over pointless shit) and thought how fitting it was compared to what I was going to say. Great answer on your part and I echo your sentiments.

@Bluefreedom – Thank you very much :)

@Merriment There was great logic in there, I thank you for that, hard to get any REAL logic around here sometimes. I was thinking more of those types of matters where you have person ‘A’, ‘C’, ‘G’, talking to person ‘H’ about person ‘M’ being Gay because he don’t brag about all the women he has dated and or sexed up, is single and very neat etc. If there is no proof of Gayness but person ‘H’ is bombarded with the thought person ‘M’ is Gay he/she might start to THINK person ‘M’ IS Gay and that could affect how ‘H’ and ‘M’ get along. And if you know this miss information is going on, I would feel I had to say something especially if person ‘M’ did not know what was going on because ‘A’, ‘C’, and ‘G’ are always smiling to his face but never telling him what they think or giving him a chance to say his side of the story.

Thanks :)

In a situation like that I would approach H privately and tell them that persons A, C and G are just gossiping and don’t really know anything about “M”.

Rather then challenge A C and G to a pissing contest in front of H you will likely be more effective if you just remove their audience.

If that didn’t end it, then I would speak to A C and G, also individually because it is probably their group dynamic that is giving them the balls to talk shit, and tell them that their gossip is pointless and not appreciated.

If that didn’t nip it. Then the next time A C G H and M were in a group I’d say something like “So M…. A, C and G were telling H here that you are gay. Care to set the record “straight”?” Then sit back and watch the fireworks.

Depends on what is at stake. There are occasions when one may avoid confrontation and there are times when it is necessary.

I have a particularly low tolerance for bs, therefore I don’t entertain it at all.

The act of ”buy(ing) in(to) and support(ing) the fanciful BS or…go(ing) with the facts” is still feeding energy into something one claims to have no tolerance for.

My co-workers find it amusing that I have no knowledge of any of the daily “drama” the occurs on the job. “Sticking with the facts” does not mean you have to “make a stand”. You could simply choose to not involve yourself in anything that isn’t required to fulfill your daily work requirements.

@SABOTEUR

“You could simply choose to not involve yourself in anything that isn’t required to fulfill your daily work requirements.”

Amen! Great answer.

@Merriment Thank you.
(Congratulations for receiving the Herman Melville award.)

I generally listen a lot, untill someone asks me for my opinion, then I would stick to the facts. I can’t imagine getting in a “deep” discussion with anyone I ever worked with.

@SABOTEUR
thank you! I just love the names of the awards here on fluther

Me too.

this is a great question. i agree with others that sometimes I just let things slide when I don’t have the energy. lol but we should have an 100% no BS week and report back on how well it goes.

In my opinion, battles should be chosen on merit. If something is not worth debating, I won’t debate it. Ignoring “BS” is not the same as entertaining it in my opinion. Not every cause deserves a valiant hero to defend it, so why expend the energy if it’s something unimportant?

Well said @FlipFlap.

(Welcome to Fluther!)