Blue Candle Vise Grip

Think of it as a blue candle. Imagine if you will, living in an alternative culture where blue candles have a stigma associated with them. These blue candles are not illegal, mind you, but some people think that owning them is immoral or unethical, even though countless millions of these candles are sold in the U.S. each year.

So there I was at a casual lunch with a new acquaintance, and potential client, when she launches into the atrocities of blue candle ownership. How should I react? After all, I once bought a blue candle (it’s still in my closet), and I know many others who have, as well. I think that people who want to make blue candle ownership illegal have closed minds and have never been presented with life circumstances in which burning a blue candle may be an option. It’s not that I am pro-blue-candle-ownership, or that I am against it, but when something is not illegal and can be used with discernment, I don’t see how I can define others by the ownership of it.

What reaction is justified to this type of blatant opinion? Unknowing what to do, I just said, “That’s an interesting viewpoint,” and changed the subject. I thought about it the rest of the day. Had I been among friends, or this interaction not being financially motivated, I would have responded with my usual devil’s advocate reply. So is that how I define myself? Compromising my normal behavior because money was involved? How often do I act like this? Or was it even more sinister – not wanting to cause friction, afraid of being unpopular? I like to rationalize it, thinking that it just wasn’t the time or place to try to convince someone to loosen the vise grip on their closed mind. But was that really what was happening? What other blue candle opinions do I hold and release in my life?