Can I give up?

You're allowed to give up. As we've said, you can't change other people. When you finally give up the idea that you have the power to change others, you are giving up something you never had anyway - control. If someone is unwilling to examine their own contribution to a problem or take responsibility for the impact of their actions, you can't force them to. All you can do is take a hard look at yourself, be open to seeing things differently, change your own contribution, and be honest about what matters to you.

(See also When to give in?)

--Douglas Stone + Bruce Patton + Sheila Heen