I agree with some of the longer remarks and poetry: I'd sum it up to simply "Choose your battles." The ones you can't win aren't worth engaging in. That was my approach to parenting teenagers, along with the attitude that as thinking autonomous individuals they needed to be treated with respect. Modeling that for them by not getting in the middle of a pointless battle will go a long way, especially if at some time in the future you touch on this choice in a discussion to sum it up so it is hammered home for your son.

SRS