Recapping SW&CR: Ask Me About My Conflict Style (Ch. 10)

Chapter 10: Is It Your Destiny? Conflict Modes and Strategic Choice (Noam Ebner)

Kicking off Part II of Star Wars and Conflict Resolution, all-powerful Noam Ebner dives into the world of conflict modes and how they have been shown to interchangeably exist in the galaxy. Prefacing this Chapter as one that focuses on free will, the power of choice, and the importance of mastering one’s own default tendencies in conflict, Ebner places the reader in a variety of situations where we see our characters’ lives at the mercy of their default conflict mode.

The chapter tasks the reader to search within themselves to determine their default conflict mode and identify how it may change based on how we naturally act versus how we act when, time permitting, a more cognitive approach to conflict is required. The five conflict modes are introduced: Competition, Cooperation, Accommodation, Avoidance, and Compromise. See how well you can assess how our favorite Star Wars characters fit naturally into their default mode,[1] and how some, against their basic instinct, find themselves exhibiting a range of conflict modes when called upon.

— Written by Sam Haimowitz, SW&CR Padawan and newly graduated JD from the University of Oregon School of Law

[1] “Ah yes, the negotiator. General Kenobi.”