It's not the first time I've recognized this about myself.
I'm pretty good at avoiding topics that I simply do not want to discuss.
When I'm on smoke break at work, the last thing that I generally want to talk about is work. I mean, shite, I've only got 15 minutes to get away from it all... I just flat-out don't want to hear about someone else's bad day. It's a 50-50 draw that I'm having one, too.
And if I'm relaxing at my pub, having a pint, the last thing that I want to hear about is someone else's politics. I don't care if you're for the death penalty, against taxes, or support gay marriage. I might be, too, but, when I'm enjoying some oldie tunes, and a cool, bitter ale, the first thing to wreck my mood is to rant on about a system that I'm entirely skeptical towards.
And if I'm with family members, the last thing that I want to 'share' is my feelings about the arguement that we've had time to 'step back' from. For me, it's over. You might be pretending to be polite, but I know that you're still pissed. If you bring it up, I know you've finally prepared your retalliation. But you're fighting a one-man war, buddy. I'm beyond it now, and if you're not, I don't care. Simple as that.
See, the more that I work at a job where I'm forced to carry conversations with people I don't know, don't care, and generally don't even like, the more I realize how much more often I'm inclined to step back from conversations with people that I do have some feelings towards. I really would rather not get into a shouting match, and I'd rather walk away from a confrontation, not because I can't stand up for myself, but because I just cannot be bothered. I'd rather spend what time I have away from work, doing things that I want to do, and not doing things that I hate. That includes feigning interests in political debates. And bringing up the past repeatedly.
And I find that if I feel that I'm cornered, I will, more often than not, just simply stand up and walk away.