How I Act In Conflicts

How I Act In Conflicts
For Speech 100 Return to: Daily schedule Worksheets Syllabus
For Speech 210 (Interpersonal Communication) return to: Syllabus Daily Schedule

The proverbs listed below can be thought of as descriptions of some of the different strategies for resolving conflicts. Proverbs state traditional wisdom. These proverbs reflect traditional wisdom for resolving conflicts. Reach each of the proverbs carefully. Using the scale given below, indicate how typical each proverb is of your actions in a conflict.

5 = Very typical of the way I act in a conflict
4 = Frequently typical of the way I act in a conflict
3 = Sometimes typical of the way I act in a conflict
2 = Seldom typical of the way I act in a conflict
1 = Never typical of the way I act in a conflict

____ 1. It is easier to refrain than retreat from a quarrel.
____ 2. If you cannot make a person think as you do, make him or her do as you think.
____ 3. Soft words win hearts.
____ 4. You scratch my back; I’ll scratch yours.
____ 5. Come now and let us reason together.
____ 6. When tow quarrel, the person who keeps silent is the most praiseworthy
____ 7. Might overcomes right
____ 8. Smooth words make smooth ways.
____ 9. Better half a loaf than no bread at all.
____ 10. Truth lies in knowledge, not in majority opinion.
____ 11. He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.
____ 12. He hath conquered well that hath made his enemies flee.
____ 13. Kill your enemies with kindness.
____ 14. A fair exchange brings no quarrel.
____ 15. No person has the final answer but every person has a piece to contribute.
____ 16. Stay away from people who disagree with you
____ 17. Fields are won by those who believe in winning.
____ 18. Kind words are worth much and cost little.
____ 19. Tit for tat is fair play.
____ 20. Only the person who is willing to give up his or her monopoly on truth can ever profit from the truths that others hold.
____ 21. Avoid quarrelsome people, as they will only make your life miserable.
____ 22. A person who will not flee will make others flee.
____ 23. Soft words ensure harmony
____ 24. One gift for another makes good friends.
____ 25. Bring your conflicts into the open and face them directly; only then will the best solution ever be discovered.
____ 26. The best way of handling conflicts is to avoid them.
____ 27. Put your foot down where you mean to stand.
____ 28. Gentleness will triumph over anger
____ 29. Getting part of what you want is better than not getting anything at all.
____ 30. Frankness, honesty, and trust will move mountains.
____ 31. There is nothing so important that you have to fight for it.
____ 32. There are two kinds of people in the world, the winners and the losers.
____ 33. When one hits you with a stone, hit him or her with a piece of cotton.
____ 34. When both people give halfway, a fair settlement is achieved.
____ 35. By digging and digging, the truth is discovered.

Withdrawing          Forcing              Smoothing             Compromising     Confronting
(the Turtle)           (the Shark)       (the Teddy Bear)     (the Fox)             (the Owl)
Avoiding                 Competing        Accommodating     Compromising     Collaborating

____1. ____2. ____3. ____4. ____5.

____6. ____7. ____8. ____9. ____10.

____11. ____12. ____13. ____14. ____15.

____16. ____17. ____18. ____19. ____20.

____21. ____22. ____23. ____24. ____25.

____26. ____27. ____28. ____29. ____30.

____31. ____32. ____33. ____34. ____35.

____ Total ____Total ____Total ____Total ____Total

The higher the total score for each conflict strategy, the more frequently you tend to use that strategy. The lower the total score is for each conflict strategy, the less frequently you tend to use that strategy.

Taken from Reaching Out, Interpersonal Effectiveness and Self Actualization, 2^nd Edition. David W. Johnson, Prentice Hall: 1981.