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The piercing sound of steel shatters the unperturbed air around it as blows are made against it.

A sword fight is anything but peaceful, clean, and quiet.

That is the reality of any discourse between individuals with conflicting opinions on a subject-matter. 

When you strike with the blade of your perspective, you are being resolute in executing the will of the ego to get what you want.

What is it that you want? To be right.

Right in your approach.  Right in your swing. Right in your choice of landing.  

Did your efforts earn you a kill? Or are you finding the perspective of another to be equally combative and as dexterous as your cunning?

When we fail to accomplish anything we want on the first try, we are met with an upset. Resistance. Inertia. An unstoppable force meeting an otherwise immovable object.

Perhaps this is what it feels like when we face off against those who disagree with our perspectives, especially if they have been politicized to the point of abstraction.

The steel of a blade cannot bend back the steel of another.  It can only, at best, leave a scratch on the surface.

This too would be the case of our attempts to sway the perspectives of others who feel like our polar opposites in a certain context.

So what does this mean about our desires for flawless victories and unperturbed steps forward with exerting our influence on the world around us?

Simply. Life isn't perfect.  Which is to say, life isn't perfect in relation to the image you have for it in your head.

Life is what you make of it.  Or better, life is what you are able to make of it.  

If you find yourself disenfranchised, disempowered, or discouraged from the opportunities you have striven for in life, perhaps then you have given up the fight.

The perspectives of others are important only in that they help us see what we hold in front of ourselves as our perspective, which we are wielding whether we choose to fight or not.

Whether we can carry it forward is a different story.

Having a blade, or a perspective, that is heavy in its weight means you will surely strike a powerful blow, but only once you muster the strength to swing it boldly.

This is why it is good to specialize in being nimble and quick to quit a perspective that is no longer serving us.

What is the ultimate panacea to live forever?  Survive.  Survive whatever may be put in front of you.

When you encounter a lion coming out of a bush, you do not lay over and quit if your goal is to survive.

When you encounter a foe coming at you with fervor, the last thing you do is run at them with arms wide open.

Survival looks different for everyone.  Fight or flight is the most fundamental guiding force behind what drives our tendencies when faced with our fears.

However, there will come a time and place where one must fight.  You will not have a chance to prepare.  You will not have any time to squander.

When you are forced to represent your perspective, be ready for a battle that can be fierce.  

It does not matter the time you spent hammering out your perspective, the size of the blade you wield, or the sharpness of its tip.  

If you fail to recover from one mistake, your ego will surely be killed outright.

But if you recover quickly, on the other hand, survival may very well be in your hands.  At least as an option not previously presented as possible.

So, how does one recover quickly?

Recognize the mistake in your intent.

When you recognize the error in your ways of being while trying to accomplish what you want, you gain clarity on a better approach,