Most of the time family feuds are fueled by stubborness. No one is going to give up their belief, and they will believe that they’ve been wronged the most. That’s true sometimes. However, the most well-adjusted person will have an internal conversation about whether or not it’s worth disliking someone who has a different  belief than yours.

Some time ago I read an article about a study done some where,where people held certain beliefs, and that no matter how persuasive opposing evidence was no one was willing to change their minds about their belief.

Which brings me to the topic at hand. This country is currently facing a deep political divide. Whatever side of the fence you stand on the other side is most certainly related to Satan in your mind. So you can stop speaking to each other, which gets you nowhere, or you can engage in a hurtful, name calling argument, and none of these things resolve a thing, nothing, nada, except a waste of your energy.

I have an idea. I’m going to propose a game that doesn’t have winners and losers. In this experience agreeing to disagree is a valid ending to the conversation. Everyone has to have some explanation for what they just said in their five minutes. It can’t be, “just because or I know it’s true.” Your opinion has to be backed up by evidence, historical involving a historical figure or present time involving a person who proves the point you are making, the only rule to present time examples is that they can’t be involved with the person in the argument, can’t be doing charity work, raising donations, etc. for the person they’re supporting. You can use documentaries, personal experiences backed up by fact, and magazine and newspaper articles that aren’t represented by the person you’re arguing for in any way.

You can begin as a team or an individual, but the numbers should be the same, not one person arguing with fifteen people. It doesn’t  have to be exact but pretty darn close.

Roll the dice to see who goes first, or have different sizes of toothpicks held by someone not in the discussion. Each person gets a five-minute presentation of what they believe and why. Someone on the other side gets to present what they believe and why.

That’s when the differences show up. Name calling or refusing to play results in that person being immediately explled from the game.

Everyone gets five minutes to express their ideas and opinions without boos or jeers from the other side. They are welcome to express something that contradicts something someone on the other side said. That’s when evidence comes into play. Sometimes someone on one of the sides needs to take a time out to look something up. If it takes longer that fifteen minutes the group shoud stop playing until the next day or night. When the group resumes they resume exactly where they left off. When someone makes a point both sides agree on, that goes down as one point for that side. Keep a tablet handy. This game can go on for  hours, days, weeks.

When one or both groups feel like they have nothing else to say then game over, points are totaled, and there is a winner or a mutual agreement to agree to disagree. No one goes away angry, feeling unheard, or unimportaint. The game can be great family fun or great social fun, and a time to learn and contemplate what you’re hearing.