Got called out for my opinion on dog food at a friend's dinner party

Last month I went to a dinner party and mentioned I feed my dogs a raw diet. You would have thought I said I kick puppies for fun. Two people at the table got so worked up I couldn't get a word in to explain why it works for my dogs. I learned that some topics just aren't worth bringing up unless you want to spend the whole night defending yourself. Has anyone else found a subject that people just lose their minds over no matter what you say?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabeth_king6d ago

Totally get where you're coming from. I once mentioned at a work potluck that I don't let my kids have sugar at home and someone called me a "food fascist" to my face. It's wild how fast people jump down your throat about stuff like parenting or pet care when you're just trying to share what works for you. I mean, nobody asked them to change their own habits, right? It's like some folks take your personal choice as a personal attack on theirs. Honestly, I've learned to keep quiet about a few things now too, even though it kind of sucks.

barbara2786d ago

You've got to pick your battles, @elizabeth_king, that's for sure. What worked for me was just smiling and saying something like, "Different strokes for different folks, you know?" and then changing the subject to the weather or the game last night. People don't usually push further if you don't engage. It took me a while to figure that out because I used to feel like I had to explain myself, but that just makes things worse. Now I'll even throw in a little joke like, "Yeah, I'm basically the sugar police, but the kids get plenty at grandma's house!" It kind of disarms people because they see you're not taking it too seriously. Sucks that we have to do that, but keeps the peace way better than getting defensive.