Final Determinations

Question: Whose turn was it to do the dishes.

It was yours. It has been yours for longer than you believe. The other party's account is more accurate than yours. The determination is final.

Question: Whether the email was passive-aggressive.

The email was passive-aggressive. The sender was aware of this. The sender will maintain that it was not. The determination is final.

Question: Who started it.

The question of who started it is not answerable in the terms in which it was submitted. Both parties have starting points in the chain of events that precede the agreed-upon starting point. However, one party escalated the situation at the point that both parties identify as the beginning. That party knows who they are. The determination is final.

Question: Whether it was as bad as it felt at the time.

It was worse. This is usually the answer. People tend to minimize with distance. You minimized. The determination is final.

Question: Whether the restaurant was as good as one party remembered.

The restaurant was not as good as remembered. It was, however, better than the other party maintained. The determination falls between the two positions and satisfies neither. The determination is final.