reading former post to apply fisher and ury’s method
Using your conflict from last week’s discussion prompt, apply Fisher and Ury’s method. How might you have responded differently? What was the other party’s position? What were your needs and interests in the conflict? What might some options for resolution have been, and how would you objectively assess those options?

last week conflict

Growing up life was not easy, and my extended family often clashed. Two of my uncles were the worst, and they were often aggressive with each other. The rest of the family enjoyed each other’s company more than the two individuals. Based on Moore’s conflict, the uncles elicited value and relationship conflicts. For instance, if one came into a room, the other would leave, or if one raised a topic during family chats, the other would react aggressively. Moreover, they avoided sitting close to each other even during family meetings or dinners. I knew there was more to the story because people would be chattering happily, and an awkward silence would presume when the two entered the room, but I was too young to understand. Last but not least, tension was the norm unless one or both of my uncles were absent from a particular gathering.

My uncles’ reactions elicited several aspects of Moore’s conflict model’s value and relationship conflicts. According to Moore’s model, value conflicts are characterized by individuals avoiding each other, avoiding specific topics, and aggressive reactions toward each other’s opinions. Additionally, relationship conflicts are riddled with conflicting parties avoiding even sitting close to each other, awkward silences, and tension (Merritt, Hunter, 2021). My uncles elicited all the above characteristics supporting Moore’s model. Over time, my uncles’ attitudes changed after family mediation, but their constant displays taught me a few issues about relationship and value conflicts that support Moore’s conflict analysis model. For instance, I learned value conflicts could be caused by different worldviews, habits, personal identities, or adaptive challenges. Moreover, relationship conflicts can be fueled by troubled histories, aggressive reactions, harbored negative emotions and perceptions.

My uncles underwent several family mediation episodes once their issues were discovered as more political than personal. Eventually, their differences were resolved, and they agreed to respect each other’s opinions without aggression. Ultimately, a mutual understanding developed, leading to acceptance and forgiveness. Therefore, it is vital to discover the conflict’s source to salvage a situation.

Reference

Merritt, Hunter (2021). “The Circle of Conflict Adaptation.” Partnership Academy. October 21, 2021 .