The Donkey Principle: Choosing Peace Over Pointless Argument

Imagine this:

You're in the middle of a conversation (maybe online, work, or home) and suddenly, it turns into an argument.

You’re calm at first, trying to explain your point. But the more you talk, the more the other person digs in.

You start to realize… this isn’t about truth anymore. It’s about pride.

And yet, you still feel the pull to prove you’re right.

That’s when this story comes to mind. Simple, but full of wisdom.

A Donkey once told a Tiger, “The grass is blue.”

The Tiger replied, “No, the grass is green.”

The argument went on and on until they decided to take their case to the Lion — the King of the Jungle.

When they reached him, the Donkey shouted, “Your Highness, isn’t it true that the grass is blue?”

The Lion calmly replied, “Yes, the grass is blue.”

Pleased, the Donkey said, “The Tiger disagreed with me. He must be punished!”

The Lion nodded and said, “The Tiger will be punished with a year of silence.”

The Donkey left, celebrating his victory.

But the Tiger stayed behind and asked, “Your Majesty, why did you punish me? You know the grass is green.”

The Lion replied, “Yes, of course it’s green. But someone as wise as you should never waste time proving anything to a fool.”

Sometimes, the price of peace is silence.
There will always be people who argue not to learn, but to win. They don’t want understanding. They want attention.

In those moments, wisdom looks like walking away.

Proverbs 26:4 reminds us, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.”

When you argue with someone committed to misunderstanding you, you lose twice: once in peace, and again in pride.

The older I get, the more I realize peace comes at a price:
You buy it with your restraint.
You protect it with your silence.

You don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to.

It’s easy to get pulled into pointless debates, but not every battle is yours to fight.

Jesus Himself stayed silent before His accusers. He knew that proving His innocence wasn’t the mission; fulfilling His purpose was.

That’s wisdom. That’s strength. That’s peace.

So, the next time you feel that urge to “set someone straight,” pause and remember the Donkey and the Tiger.

Ask yourself:

Does this person even want to understand?
Is this argument worth my peace?

Choose peace.
Let the Donkey celebrate the “win”.
You’ve got better things to build.