you can't argue with a story

 i've been thinking this and then heard it on the radio as well:  you can't argue with a story.  

whether times have divided or just brought to light division that was already there and undealt with, i don't know.  but what i DO know is we all have a story, a lens through which we see the world (whether we consciously realize this or not) and unique experiences to share.

having tried this with mostly success, i wonder:  next time we find ourselves in an uncomfortable space of talk that is not nourishing--especially with the holidays coming up when expectations, emotions, and unvoiced hopes can become a tangle--i wonder how it could be turned around by saying.  "ok.  how have you experienced this concept?  tell me a story about how this has impacted you personally?" 

and then listen.  listen.  and listen some more.  for this, i call upon the spirit of st. francis who said it's better to seek to understand than to be understood.  oh, the discipline and temptation of this truth!

story has potential to steer the conversation ever so graciously a few degrees, which can mean a world of difference in the long-term quality of relationship (away from an argument and toward a bond of understanding).

there's a lot of things that could be argued about, i suppose.  but people's stories aren't one of those!  and as a person approaching 50, i want to spend the second half of my life on story.

if you try this idea, feel free to let me know how it goes!