Did Socrates have a wife?
AITA for constantly questioning my wife’s arguments?
So, a bit of background: I (73M) am an ancient philosopher. You might know me as Socrates, aka the guy who made people question everything. My wife (69F), Xanthippe, and I have been married for over 40 years. She is a strong, fiercely independent woman, and we have three sons together. She's always known about my questioning habit, even from the early days. But lately, things have taken a turn for the worse.
As you may know, I'm a big believer in dialogue and debate. I hold these conversations with my friends, students, and of course, my wife. Xanthippe is generally patient and understanding, and she indulges my love for questioning and debate. However, yesterday, we had a disagreement which led to a huge fight, and I am wondering if I was the asshole.
We were discussing our financial situation, which, to be honest, isn't great (note: being a philosopher doesn't pay much). Xanthippe suggested that I should maybe consider a more practical profession, something that would earn us some actual money instead of just intellectual accolades. I asked her, "What is money? Is it not just a social construct? Does it not breed inequality and greed?"
She sighed and said, "Socrates, we need to eat."
To which I replied, "And what is eating, but an example of our physical dependencies overriding our intellectual pursuits?"
As you can probably guess, this didn't go down well. Xanthippe got really angry. She said I was being dismissive of her concerns and acting like a know-it-all jerk.
I tried explaining that I wasn't dismissing her concerns, but merely questioning the underlying principles. I was just trying to encourage a deeper level of thought, but she wouldn't hear any of it. She stormed out of the room, and now she's not talking to me.
I don't think I did anything wrong. Isn't it important to constantly question and challenge our ideas? That's how we gain wisdom, after all. But my friends (all of them my students, so they might be a bit biased) are saying that I should have just listened to her concerns without turning it into a philosophical debate.
So, Reddit, AITA for constantly questioning my wife's arguments?