Have you seen that joke about not being able to go to bed because “someone is wrong on the Internet”?

It sounds funny, but sometimes we spend far too much energy trying to convince others we’re right. On the Internet, we call people who can’t let go of an argument “trolls.” But this behavior often happens in face-to-face communications too. Sometimes, even if we walk away, the unsettling bad vibrations from such an encounter can last for days—or longer.

When Jesus said “Blessed are the peacemakers,” he meant more than preventing war. Peacemaking is avoiding needless conflict or domination of others in the name of power or pride. Jesus, by his own example, calls us to gentleness, submission and empathy, not to one-upmanship.

Next time, try giving up your need to be right. Agree to disagree, shake hands and walk away.