---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They were having an argument as old and…"
description: "\"They were having an argument as old and comfortable as an armchair, the kind of argument that no one ever really wins or loses but which can go on fore..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/neil-gaiman-29_argument_they-were-having-an-argument-as-old-and_752586.jpg"
---

#  They were having an argument as old and comfortable as an…

![“They were having an argument as old and comfortable as an armchair, the kind of argument that no one ever really wins or loses but which can go on forever, if both parties are willing.” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/neil-gaiman-29_argument_they-were-having-an-argument-as-old-and_752586.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/neil-gaiman-29_argument_they-were-having-an-argument-as-old-and_752586.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/neil-gaiman-29_argument_they-were-having-an-argument-as-old-and_752586.jpg)

> “They were having an argument as old and comfortable as an armchair, the kind of argument that no one ever really wins or loses but which can go on forever, if both parties are willing.”

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A familiar, endless dispute that never truly ends, sustained only by the willingness of both sides to continue.

**In simple terms:** A never‑ending argument that persists because both parties keep it alive.

Key Takeaway

Recognize when a conflict is futile and let it go.

Themes

conflict communication stubbornness

Mood

frustrated reflective

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- marriage counseling
- political debates
- family gatherings
- online forums

Key Concepts

psychology relationship dynamics dialogue

Questions to Reflect On

- Is this dispute worth your energy?
- What would happen if you both chose silence?

A Different Perspective

If both parties stop engaging, the argument ceases, but underlying issues may remain unresolved.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Win or lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win-or-lose/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/)

## Related quotes

> [They say that 'history is an argument without end.' In Thompson's skillful hands, this momentous argument between two old friends on the most critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-alter/they-say-that-history-is-an-argument-without-end-in-thompson-s/)

[Jonathan Alter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-alter/)

> [Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/being-young-is-beautiful-but-being-old-is-comfortable/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [To be young is delightful; to be old is comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/to-be-young-is-delightful-to-be-old-is-comfortable/)

[Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/)

> [The great charm in argument is really finding one's own opinions, not other people's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/the-great-charm-in-argument-is-really-finding-one-s-own-opinions-not/)

[Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/)

> [The only part of an argument that really matters is what we think of the people arguing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-part-of-an-argument-that-really-matters-is-what-we-think-of-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The only part of an argument that really matters is what we think of the people arguing. X claims a, Y claims b. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-part-of-an-argument-that-really-matters-is-what-we-think-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Right is not right; so is not so. If right were really right it would differ so clearly from not right that there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/right-is-not-right-so-is-not-so-if-right-were-really-right-it-would/)

[Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/)

> [Just because science so far has failed to explain something, such as consciousness, to say it follows that the facile, pathetic explanations which religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/just-because-science-so-far-has-failed-to-explain-something-such-as/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory. The resentment and ill will you stir up is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/any-momentary-triumph-you-think-you-have-gained-through-argument-is/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [She sat down on one of her grandmother's uncomfortable armchairs, and the cat sprang up into her lap and made itself comfortable. The light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/she-sat-down-on-one-of-her-grandmother-s-uncomfortable-armchairs-and/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [If you and I are not having a dialogue, when you're having an argument, the reason the argument happen is because we are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subir-chowdhury/if-you-and-i-are-not-having-a-dialogue-when-you-re-having-an-argument/)

[Subir Chowdhury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subir-chowdhury/)

> [When I'm down, I talk to myself a lot. I look crazy because I'm constantly having an argument with myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/when-i-m-down-i-talk-to-myself-a-lot-i-look-crazy-because-i-m/)

[Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/)

> [Sometimes love is tested to the max by having arugments but having the argument make you a stronger person and bring your partner and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-davies/sometimes-love-is-tested-to-the-max-by-having-arugments-but-having/)

[Ryan Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-davies/)

> [It's difficult to love someone you don't respect, which is hard to remember when you're having an argument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-oz/it-s-difficult-to-love-someone-you-don-t-respect-which-is-hard-to/)

[Mehmet Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-oz/)

> [Often we're having an argument with something imaginary - a fixed idea of the "enemy" and the good. We need to get beyond that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-green/often-we-re-having-an-argument-with-something-imaginary-a-fixed-idea/)

[Duncan Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-green/)

## More by Neil Gaiman

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. For some days the needle had been over in the red, occasionally banging jerkily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/like-all-sentient-beings-fat-charlie-had-a-weirdness-quotient-for/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“Shadow crawled across the floor to the yellow foam-rubber pad and climbed onto it, pulling the thin blanket over himself, and closed his eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/shadow-crawled-across-the-floor-to-the-yellow-foam-rubber-pad-and/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [ “\[T\]hey could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/t-hey-could-not-help-being-amused-every-time-another-little-human/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [So many things to see, people to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/so-many-things-to-see-people-to-do/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ – Ben Franklin,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/three-may-keep-a-secret-if-two-of-them-are-dead-ben-franklin/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [You can tell the date of an old science fiction novel by every word on the page. Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“The quickest way is sometimes the longest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-quickest-way-is-sometimes-the-longest/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“They were spells, spelled with words to make worlds, waiting for me, in the pages of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-spells-spelled-with-words-to-make-worlds-waiting-for-me-in/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [What do stars do? They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. Where you are is nothing and nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/eyes-will-not-see-you-minds-will-not-hold-you-where-you-are-is/)

[neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

[Explore all 2,526 Neil Gaiman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

## More Argument quotes

> [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/)

[Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/)

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/)

[John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/)

> [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/)

[Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/)

> [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/)

[Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/)

> [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/)

[Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/)

> [One argument goes that recessions are good for female artists because when money flies out the window, women are allowed in the house. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/one-argument-goes-that-recessions-are-good-for-female-artists-because/)

[Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/)

> [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/)

[Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/)

> [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. And, if they take place online, add to that, a waste of one’s keyboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/arguments-led-by-subjectivity-are-a-waste-of-time-and-if-they-take/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [If in the middle of an argument I suddenly fall silent it does not mean you have won... No it means you should probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/if-in-the-middle-of-an-argument-i-suddenly-fall-silent-it-does-not/)

[Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/)

> [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/)

[Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/)

> [“The motive behind my arguments have always been to come at truth. I am not interested in conquering anyone with my ideologies or seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-evans/the-motive-behind-my-arguments-have-always-been-to-come-at-truth-i-am/)

[Crystal Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-evans/)

> [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/)

[John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/)

[Browse all 3,479 Argument quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "They were having an argument as old and comfortable as an armchair, the kind of argument that no one ever really wins or loses but which can go on forever, if both parties are willing.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neil Gaiman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-having-an-argument-as-old-and-comfortable-as-an-armchair/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Argument"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-having-an-argument-as-old-and-comfortable-as-an-armchair/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/neil-gaiman-29_argument_they-were-having-an-argument-as-old-and_752586.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/neil-gaiman-29_argument_they-were-having-an-argument-as-old-and_752586.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/neil-gaiman-29_argument_they-were-having-an-argument-as-old-and_752586.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“They were having an argument as old and comfortable as an armchair, the kind of argument that no one ever…” — Neil Gaiman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Neil Gaiman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "They were having an argument as...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-having-an-argument-as-old-and-comfortable-as-an-armchair/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-having-an-argument-as-old-and-comfortable-as-an-armchair/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
