The Two But Rule

CHAPTER 15Buts in Conflict

Whether it's battles over territory, budget disputes, or food fights in the cafeteria, humans have a penchant for conflict. It's either a symptom of 1Butism or a sign of how little time we spend trying to understand and honor what's behind each other's intentions.

Let's look at two cases of conflict, one from the earliest days of democracy and one pulled from today's headlines.

Solon, Father of Buts

This book wouldn't be complete without a case on how the Two But Rule can be applied to political and social conflict. Finding the right case left me with a classic 2Buts problem. I looked at the war in Ukraine, the conflict over the U.S. election of 2020, Brexit, the Arab Spring, the Troubles in Ireland, the partition of India and Pakistan, World War II, World War I, and even the French Revolution. But every topic I considered was likely to focus stakeholders on the deficiencies of my research rather than considering how they might apply Momentum Thinking to current conflicts. BUT, it struck me that there might be a case from so long ago that all the combatants are long dead and their direct connection to anyone's current interests long forgotten. But I'm not an expert in ancient history. BUT it happens that my best college friend from UC Berkeley, Dr. Duane March, has a PhD in ancient history and Mediterranean archaeology. It's a degree, I should add, that typically involves acquiring at least six years of postgraduate study and proficiency in two ...