Teacher Liu, I often hear Chinese people say things like “since we’re already here” or “it’s not easy for anyone,” and just like that, arguments stop.

Yes, those phrases are very common. They’re used to ease the atmosphere and help everyone calm down first.

For example, if a trip isn’t fun, a friend says “since we’re already here,” and everyone just keeps sightseeing.

Right. It’s a way of accepting reality and not dwelling on the time and money already spent.

Then does “it’s not easy for anyone” mean understanding the other person?

Exactly. It acknowledges that everyone is struggling and uses empathy to reduce conflict.

But if something is very serious, is it still appropriate to say things like that?

That’s where the boundary is. For small matters it works, but for big issues you still need rules and responsibility—you can’t rely only on reconciliation phrases.