Humans, in our self-absorbed stubbornness, love being right. We thrive off of getting the upper hand, being the ‘bigger person’ and showing other people that we are above them. I think and I’ve observed that the majority of the time we want to take the high road, it’s because we want the title of taking the high road. We are starving ourselves of real holiness by feeding off the pride of being pretentious and righteous.

But the truth is that meekness and placing the satisfaction of peace above the lust in pride of being in the right, is real holiness.

Why can’t we let things go? I get so bothered when someone doesn’t understand me perfectly. I don’t understand why people dress the way they do or why they like the music they do. I get so annoyed that people from other parts of the United States have a different vocabulary set. I expect so much from those around me and I forget that we are all fallen humans.

I think we need to let our friends and family live. We need to let the strangers around us live too. We need to stop correcting people over petty things like how to pronounce a word or how they present themselves on social media. Everyone is trying to figure themselves out, and a mature, loving person gives people runway to figure this complicated world out.

Loving someone despite your differing opinion on Star Wars, Chipotle ingredients, or music is mature love. None of the petty, temporary things we argue about is worth losing or injuring a friend.

I love being right, I hate conflict, and I often find myself sticking up my nose and thinking, “Well I’m going to be the bigger person and ‘forgive’ them for thinking they know better than me.” That is not being the bigger person, it’s not true forgiveness, it’s not loving. Who cares if your friend thinks New York is the greatest city in the world? Why do we feel like we have to argue and fight over that? Why is it worth changing your friendship with someone over what kind of music you prefer? Is a Justin Bieber or Jesus Culture preference an equal trade for your relationship?

Peace, choosing our battles with one another, and living meekly in all situations is true love. Loving others and the bits of you that make each other different is true, genuine love. We were all made so uniquely with varying personalities, backgrounds and interests; trying to conform your friends to be just like you denies them true love, the kind that survives across borders of characteristic diversity.

So let those around you be them. Give them breathing room, let them make silly little 'mistakes' and live their life. Usually those little things that annoy us grow to become the most endearing qualities about someone. Music preferences, clothing, style, aesthetic, accent, and car preferences are not worth the relationship you’re growing together. People are always more important than material things.