Thinking Routine: Sticky Points
A thinking routine for mapping messy controversies
Choose a big issue and look at these four facets…
1. Facts
- What facts do people differ on?
- What facts do they agree on?
2. Values
- What values do people differ on?
- What values do they agree on?
3. Interests
- What practical interests (e.g. investments, land, group loyalty) do people differ on?
- What practical interests do they share?
4. Policies
- What policies (i.e. general actions to take) do people differ on?
- What policies do they agree on?
Follow-Up Conversations
- How does the pattern of Facts-Values- Interests-Policies differ by different groups, e.g. scientists, people from different political parties, business people, workers, different nationalities, etc.?
- How could progress be made without necessarily completely agreeing? E.g. people might try to settle some facts, find some common interests, arrive at a compromise policy. What are the opportunities in this case?
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