MeshThink

Pie and politics – is there a more iconic holiday combination? Some of us are practicing biting our tongues to get ready for family gatherings. Others are rehearsing their talking points in the shower — because this year is finally the year you’re going to convince them, right?

Except no-one ever changes their mind when you argue with them. Literally, it’s never happened once in the history of mankind. Convince me I’m wrong!

Professional mediators know that it’s better use of time to find the common ground you do agree on. Arguing about entrenched positions isn’t productive — but you can usually make progress by mapping out the common ground in the middle — find the things you can agree on. Once that’s done, grow the border of that common ground, an inch at a time.

If only every family table came with a trained mediator!

On a whim, I put together an AI-powered common-ground finder for the holidays. If you’re anticipating some blood-pressure raising debates, why not give it a try? Enter an argument, and get some ideas about where you might find common ground.

You can also check out the most frequent and/or most fun arguments others are sorting out (anonymously, of course). Have fun, and see if you can help make this holiday the season where we can all just… get along. Good luck finding your Common Ground!