That&#x27;s certainly true -- although I can hardly say that I have a gift for it. More often, I&#x27;ve found that discussing almost any issue results in me making concessions and the other person not doing so; I&#x27;m trying to lean the other way and hopefully reach a suitable balance.<p>This article left me more ticked-off than it should have; I think it&#x27;s because I got the sense that the author valued consensus and national cohesion more than he valued any ideological question. If the article had said, &quot;we&#x27;re at war, but remember that chivalry is a good thing,&quot; I would have simply agreed; instead, he quoted Lincoln.