In researching his book, Buster started collecting these ongoing disagreements that couples have. They can seem like they're about the most trivial things,. One couple's been arguing for years about whether it's OK to drink a glass of water which had been sitting out for a few days. The heat that comes from arguments is also a heat that can bind relationships together.
Have you ever had one of those arguments — whether with a friend or a colleague, a loved one or a perfect stranger — that you both vehemently disagree, and it boils your blood? Too often these days, arguments with people we disagree with feel impossible. We never solve anything but seem to succeed in hurting someone’s feelings. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? In his forthcoming book, “Why Are We Yelling?: The Art of Productive Disagreement” (Nov. 19), Buster Benson, who has worked for some of the world’s most successful companies, to help you have hard conversations in your relationships, engage people with different political viewpoints, and disagree with dignity.