# Are you more of an irresistible force or an immovable object? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161 "2016-11-16T14:25:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/1 "2016-11-16T14:25:26Z")
Are you better at making people change, or is someone trying to make you change a total waste of time. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/2 "2016-11-16T15:53:54Z")
I’m a little of neither. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/3 "2016-11-16T16:24:19Z")
More of a bulldog who doesn’t let go and who loves taking down brick walls but I went with both. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/4 "2016-11-16T16:32:35Z")
Much more immovable object than irresistible force. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/5 "2016-11-16T16:42:28Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Are you better at making people change, or is someone trying to make you change a total waste of time. Which would you prefer? ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/6 "2016-11-16T16:43:06Z")
I tend to be the guy in the background giving the irresistible force suggestions about what might be a good direction to choose. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/7 "2016-11-16T16:46:05Z")
Immovable object. In fact, I’ve successfully removed myself from possible conflicts with irresistible forces. It’s called “keeping your head down”. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/8 "2016-11-16T16:46:11Z")
I’m the quiet center of disturbance. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/9 "2016-11-16T16:53:03Z")
Not sure if you mean this but I will and have stepped in front of my dad when he wanted to belt my mom and kick our dog in the head! Dad backed off , I took a risk being a woman and having a dad who was a boxer . ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/10 "2016-11-16T17:40:04Z")
I don’t know if either analogy exactly works for me. I am not good at making people change, but on the other hand, I have a habit of ditching the unchangeable people and finding ones I can work with. (That’s even true for most of my family. No time for that nonsense! But keep in mind that my family is not just garden variety screwed up.) If someone wants me to change, I might jump on board. I’m willing to delegate some things and if I delegate change on issue X to you, then I’m not likely to question or resist your conclusions. If you are trying to force a change on me, I’ll evaluate how well I think that change will work and I’ll probably accept some kind of middle road or compromise. If it’s really a yes/no issue, then I can be pretty hard to move, but most issues aren’t binary if you really think about them. I also dislike direct confrontation. It’s not that I’m afraid of confrontation per se, it’s just that making it a direct confrontation makes it so much harder to find a resolution. People get stubborn and emotional and it looks like there’s a winner and a loser. Direct confrontation often creates a binary issue out of something that could be solved through compromise. So… maybe I should think of myself like a palm tree in a hurricane. The roots aren’t going anywhere, and while the top of the tree might bend all the way to the ground if that’s the path of least resistance, it’ll come back up straight later. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/11 "2016-11-16T19:00:58Z")
I’m the famous “[butterfly in China](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect)”. One flutter of my wings and chaos reigns! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/12 "2016-11-16T19:07:14Z")
I’m a triple Taurus (sun, moon, and mercury) so I am definitely the immovable object. I can out-stubborn anybody. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/13 "2016-11-16T19:09:32Z")
I’m a solvent. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/14 "2016-11-16T19:51:15Z")
I like to think I am open to new ideas if they make sense. I also will gladly argue against them if I think it is the right thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/15 "2016-11-16T20:02:11Z")
Impenetrable mystery. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/16 "2016-11-16T20:23:30Z")
I would rather be the immovable object, but in reality I’m more the unstoppable force. I think it’s because I have a “friend with everyone” demeanor, so getting them to help out is not so rough. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/17 "2016-11-16T20:47:55Z")
In any case, I’ve got “massive inertia” covered. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/18 "2016-11-17T22:35:20Z")
I can be persuaded, but only by a good argument. But I am not a good persuader. My wife certainly thinks I am an immovable object, so I will go along with that. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/19 "2016-11-17T23:08:05Z")
universal solvent, one that always takes the easiest path, seeks its own level and conforms to whatever container holds it, but I always get my way. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161/20 "2016-11-17T23:59:16Z")
I refuse to answer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-more-of-an-irresistible-force-or-an-immovable-object/772161.md?page=2)