How Does Win/Win Become Lose/Lose?

This is yet another half-formed thought that has been rattling around in my brain lately.

It's centered around a quirky, somewhat repulsive little trait that I've noticed people develop as they grow older.

It was made glaringly evident to me awhile ago in an acquaintance of mine, and sadly enough, it's a trait I believe I have developed too.

This trait, for lack of a better descriptive, is the absolute refusal to compromise. 

I'm not speaking of refusing to compromise on matters of morality or propriety, or anything even close to being as lofty and noble as those ideals.

I'm speaking of the refusal to compromise on anything at all, even the smallest, most insignificant matter imaginable.

I am surrounded by older people, and by that I mean people at least my age if not a bit older, and all of them walk around saying things like, "I could care less what you want to do, I'm going to do what I want to do and that's that," or "Damn right you're not going to tell me what to watch - I'll watch what I damn well want to watch," and a million other statements of that variety that are just as hostilely assertive.

The sad thing is, none of them seem to be able to see that what they are saying, what they are doing - being ramrod inflexible about every single little thing in their lives, is what drives people away from them, it's what leads them to being left to wonder where all of their friends have gone, it's why their children avoid being around them, and it's why they are always alone.

The simple ability to compromise is vastly underrated in forming and maintaining connections with other human beings. 

There is much more I could write about this but I'm too tired at the moment - I need my sleep and that is something I cannot compromise on.