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TIL a shouting match at my uncle's table in Phoenix made me rethink debate rules
At Thanksgiving 2022, my uncle and cousin went at it over immigration reform and someone threw a dinner roll across the table. I stepped in to moderate and asked each person to restate the other's point before responding, and the whole tone shifted in about 8 minutes. Has anyone else tried that 'repeat back' trick when family politics get heated, or is there a better ground rule that actually works?
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evaadams17d ago
The "repeat back" thing works because it forces people to actually listen instead of just waiting for their turn to yell. My sister started doing something like that with her kids at dinner too, not even for politics, just to cut down on interrupting, and it changed the whole vibe. Maybe the real trick is doing it before things hit the dinner roll stage.
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