I gotta admit, of all the advice Reddits I’ve covered, this one might be the most sophisticated, Frasier-esque dispute yet noted.

I feel like I need some tossed salad and scrambled eggs just reading it.

Check out the details for yourself.

AITA for refusing to argue with my cousin?

A few times per year, my extended family gets together for a dinner; this includes my father’s siblings and their children, my cousins.

It’s usually a good time and something I look forward to.

But this time, there was a row.

Last time, I (31M) was sat in front of my cousin (32F), whom I’ll call Nohemi.

The conversation rolled around to marriages in the modern age, and how people our age get married either later or not at all.

Nohemi opined that our generation’s men were simply afraid of responsibility, and I said I disagreed.

I argued that the whole institution was in a state of decline because of the modern, secularised concept of relationships, and I tried bringing up a paper I had read about the subject when Nohemi cut me off, saying in a somewhat condescending manner that “not all of us have the time to sit around reading such papers all day.”

Ironic, because she’s pursuing an academic career while I’m just a regular employee.

Ah yes, very good, very good. How droll. Do continue.

In response, I said “Ok Nohemi, it takes two to tango, and I’m not dancing,” basically shutting down the debate.

Nohemi got upset and tried renewing it, making snide remarks I can’t fully recall, but I only responded with “Nohemi, you’ve lost me in this one.”

She then began complaining about how I discounted her ‘lived experience’ and how it wasn’t fair that I wasn’t willing to acknowledge her perspective.

Father dearest attempted to intervene.

Later in the evening my father, who’s always been the peacekeeper, suggested quietly that I go up to Nohemi and give her a conciliatory hug.

I said she’d be more than welcome to approach me herself but that I wouldn’t.

Here’s what that comments made of this:

A conversation isn’t the same as a pronouncement.

Like come on, Noemi. Don’t be gauche.

Then there’s this take:

I gotta admit, I kinda agree.

(Also the reason people are getting married less/later is that there’s no longer an immense social stigma against other cohabitation arrangements and this has actually led to a consistently declining divorce rate because way fewer people are rushing into bad marriages ok thanks for coming to my talk goodnight.)

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.