Handling Conflict

Currently, my husband and I disagree over whether or not to purchase something for our house. My husband wants to have a replica made of a large salmon that he caught in Alaska and hang it in the living room. It would take up most of the space on a very large wall and cost a lot of money. We have discussed the idea several times, but I still think that it would not look good in our house. My husband thinks it would look good, and he would enjoy reminiscing about that time in his career every time he looked at it (he is a fishing guide).

Cooperative strategies for resolving conflict involve pleasing both individuals involved and are beneficial to the relationship (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012). A couple cooperative strategies that may work for resolving this conflict are compromise and exploring all options. Compromise would mean both my husband and I giving a little to get a little (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012). I understand that my husband wants to save a memory so maybe we can find a solution that we both agree on. In order to find a solution it would help to brainstorm all of the options. "Offering--and potentially negotiating--alternatives is a useful tactic for cooperative conflict management" (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p. 240). Hopefully by exploring options and reaching a compromise, we will end up in a win-win situation--a result that pleases both of us (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012).

Essentially for compromise to work, both people need to remember to be respectful and open-minded. The 3R's are always important in any conflict.

Has anyone had a similar disagreement with a spouse or significant other? How did you resolve it?

Reference:

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York:

Bedford/St. Martin's.