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Sometimes, we like to think of ourselves as principled people; there are certain hills we are willing to die on, be them high or low. Other times, however, we come to realize that our squabbles and disdain for others is based on rather petty grounds. On occasions like these, one may be inclined to "squash the beef," a festive tradition where one decides to put aside these differences, and reconcile their relationship with the other party.

Guys are typically quicker to squash the beef than chicks, or so the stereotype goes. If the offense is relatively recent, and trivial, then it makes sense to forgive, and to carry on being buds.

However, if the offense is grievous enough, has not been apologized for, and happened some time ago, we are talking about different circumstances.

While I firmly believe in forgiveness, as a, or perhaps the core tenet of my philosophy for eudaimonia, this comes with an asterisk. The caveat is that forgiveness does not equate to erasure of what has been done. You are under no obligation to keep people who have wronged you in your life, and many times it is better to stand on principle and maintain your distance from these people.

The word ``narcissist" gets thrown around a lot these days. Many of us may even have good memories with actual narcissists. However, these memories do not oftentimes outweigh the damage these people have done. Actually, it's not even really about damage per sé, but something deeper: these types of people are rarely compatible with the average Jane or Joe; not just in terms of partnership, but even as friends.

So, hold on to those memories, but realize the truth: you are better off without these people in your life. Realize that it is not up to you to fix these people, and you do not have to go back to spending time with them as though nothing was ever off. If you decide to let them into your life again, be highly cautious, and do not become overly invested. They will find new friends/victims, but you are not required to be one of them.

Lastly, this is kind of a tangent, but the phrase "squash the beef" is kind of funny. I mean, when you squash a bug, the bug dies. But beef is not like a bug. It is already dead. And, if you squash it, you just spread it out. I dunno, just rambling here.