Sometimes it is important to not just know when to stand down but make the conscious decision to do so. And abide by it. Sometimes people close to us have problems we can't help them with or they don't listen to our suggestions. It is okay to persist if you are not getting too much on your nerves. But, when it starts to affect your own peace of mind, it is time to stop and stand down. Of course, that point depends on how close you are to that person, or how close you want to be. You might decide you don't want to be so close to that person because the stresses in their life are starting to affect you, and that is okay. It doesn't mean you are abandoning them. It just means you are demarcating the amount of emotional space you can give them, and claiming the rest for your own self-care. We all have a point beyond which we say, "I can't do anything more and its not really my problem". As I said, that point changes depending on how close or far you are to that person. These points come not just when a person is struggling for no fault of theirs, in which case they deserve all the support one can give, but is, knowingly or unknowingly, resisting our attempts to help. At the end of the day, you must take responsibility for your own happiness and so must the other person.
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