It's the kind of sage wisdom coming from a guy who was 25 at the time, but already had 20 years of experience. Kurt Russell is a wonderful actor and a great guy.
When your Islamic discourse with someone becomes a debate, that's when you know that you have to stop. The psychology of a debate is like a sports competition, and no one likes to lose. So even if you make a good point, the other person isn't going to congratulate you. They are thinking about revenge.