Hi, this is Monique Rhodes. Welcome to the In Your Right Mind podcast, where we’re learning how to be happier by working with our minds. If you'd like to know more about what I teach, come to iintendtobehappy.com. I’d love to help you get happier.
A Line from Agatha Christie
Many of you know that I’m a big reader. I love reading—it’s great for my brain, and it makes me feel good. I was reading an old Agatha Christie book recently, and a particular line stood out:
"There are many fools in the world. One praises God for their existence and keeps out of their way."
I thought that was brilliant. It’s more than just a clever line—it carries emotional intelligence. It speaks to the wisdom of not engaging unnecessarily. Peace often lies in choosing not to engage, and sometimes that’s the wisest thing we can do.
This Isn’t About Judgment—It’s About Discernment
Let’s be clear: we’re not here to call people fools, and we’re certainly not calling anyone unintelligent. That kind of judgment only adds heat to the fire.
But we do need to talk honestly about something we all encounter—especially online:
Moments when someone is so committed to their version of reality that dialogue becomes impossible.
It’s one thing to disagree with someone who’s open to nuance.
It’s another to engage with someone who’s married to their opinion, even in the face of evidence, compassion, or reason.
We’ve All Been There
Someone says something absurd, inflammatory, or dismissive. And inside us flares the temptation:
To correct them
To argue
To educate
To outwit
But here’s a deeper truth:
You’re not obligated to teach someone who isn’t willing to learn.
Trying to reason with someone who has no interest in how you see truth is not noble—it’s self-abandonment.
It’s handing over your time, energy, and peace to a losing battle.
This Is About Right Effort
This isn’t about arrogance—it’s about discernment.
Discernment is a deeply spiritual, deeply necessary practice in a noisy world.
Every day, you make choices about how to spend your limited resources:
Time
Energy
Attention
And some people—well-meaning or not—are bottomless pits for those resources.
They’ll drag you into chaos, drama, and their relentless need to be right.
But your energy is not an all-you-can-eat buffet for the opinionated.
You Don’t Need to Attend Every Argument
Sometimes, maturity looks like not explaining yourself.
Sometimes, strength looks like silence.
Sometimes, peace looks like walking away—without a final word.
There’s a beautiful phrase in Eastern philosophy: Right Effort.
It doesn’t mean doing nothing, and it doesn’t mean doing everything.
It means learning what’s worth your energy—and what isn’t.
Not Everyone Is Ready for the Conversation
Some people are so stuck in their own narrow worldview that they can’t hear you.
Not everyone is ready for a real conversation.
Not everyone wants to understand.
And that’s okay.
It doesn’t make you better than them,
But it does give you permission to step back.
Let them be wrong.
Let them believe what they want.
It’s not your job to carry the weight of their ignorance.
Your job is to stay rooted in your own clarity, kindness, and grounded truth.
Silence Can Be Power
Some will tell you that walking away is giving up.
That silence is weakness.
But the truth is—silence can be power.
When you refuse to engage with someone who isn’t listening,
you reclaim your dignity.
You reclaim your peace.
This isn’t about cutting people out the moment they disagree with you.
It’s about recognizing when a dynamic is no longer respectful, open, or reciprocal,
and choosing yourself in that moment.
Trying to Fix Someone Isn’t Compassion—It’s Control
Trying to educate someone who doesn’t want to grow isn’t compassion—it’s control.
And the world doesn’t need more control.
It needs more discernment.
It needs people who know where to place their energy.
Redirect Your Energy
So what if you took all the energy you use trying to convince the unmovable,
and you redirected it toward something better?
Write the book
Make the art
Build the community
Hold the boundary
Plant the garden
Let your clarity become your offering.
Let your peace become your protest.
Let your example become your argument.
Walk Away in Liberation
Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is walk away.
Not in anger—but in liberation.
Not to abandon someone else’s ignorance,
but to come back home to your own wisdom.
Maybe that’s what Agatha Christie meant all along—
A nod to the divine absurdity of it all,
A blessing over those who can’t see,
And a reminder to keep out of their way so you can keep becoming who you’re here to be.
I hope this has been helpful. As always, be kind, take care, and go gently in the world.
