RESOURCES
Cassandra File
The Cassandra File is my opinion
Here is where I take a stand without professional impartiality. I named this category after a young woman in Greek myth.
Apollo desired Cassandra. To woo her, Apollo gave her foresight into the future. Cassandra spurned him, and Apollo spitefully changed the gift into a curse that her prophecies would always be correct and never be believed.
I’m not always correct but I enjoy speculating about how things are, how they got to be that way, and what should be done about them. In other words, conflict analysis of life.
The Cassandra files
September 12, 2025
It’s hard to prove what didn’t happen. There's no do-over to prove that if you'd done something else you'd like the result better. How do you measure success or evaluate outcomes when you cannot prove what didn’t happen?
The Cassandra files
January 10, 2021
Societies are in hot disagreements over what limits on freedom are reasonable. Authorities emphasize reasonable limits as the answer. Protesters emphasize freedom. Traditional who, what, where, when and why questions don't ask: how do protesters define freedom?
The Cassandra files
October 1, 2020
A job ad I don't want to see. If you heard a pitch for a reality TV game show called Who is the Next Top Judge, would you watch?
The Cassandra files
September 18, 2018
Imagine your ideal dinner party guests, whether living, dead, invented, or mythical. Mine range and change, currently Marie Curie, Superman, John Legend, and Dolly Parton. Only one guest remains constant over decades: David, the shepherd who allegedly defeated giant Goliath and became king.
The Cassandra files
March 12, 2018
One week after I posted my 10 reasons to thank the Trolls, I read news of the #aftermetoo fund, which adds an 11th lesson I learned from those who flame, cast shade, insult and blah blah on social media.
The Cassandra files
April 1, 2013
"How to make good choices" can be the wrong question. When my conflict coaching clients produce a choice of either X or Y, and agonize over the decision, I ask: “What are the other choices?” They often can't find others.
The Cassandra files
October 22, 2010
There is a pattern in two major events that occurred this month: 33 Chilean miners were rescued — in a breathtakingly heroic effort and, at the other end of the hemisphere, Calgary elected a new mayor. They share one common theme:
The Cassandra files
May 7, 2009
I hadn't meant to be rude. This week I was at a typical stand-with-a-glass-in-hand cocktail reception, standing in a group with a glass in my hand. Two women stood chatting very near me in the crowded room. One of the two held a book with a striking cover image. I love books so I must have stared...
Dive into more conflict topics
Cassandra
File
view all
Conflict
Competence
view all
Conflict Doctor
Q & A
view all
Conflict
in Fiction
view all
All
Posts
view all
Next up
recent articles from all categories
Conflict Competence
April 2, 2026
No one’s born with an instruction manual for conflict, or a hot line to conflict tech support. When you practice intentionally using your conversational competencies, you’re practicing your conflict competencies.
The Cassandra files
September 12, 2025
It’s hard to prove what didn’t happen. There's no do-over to prove that if you'd done something else you'd like the result better. How do you measure success or evaluate outcomes when you cannot prove what didn’t happen?
Conflict Doctor answers your questions
September 12, 2025
Question: A parent asked about his child’s recent public meltdown. As the Conflict Doctor, I squirmed, anticipating a parenting question that I’m not qualified to answer. Instead, he admitted his immature overreaction was the low point of the scene.
Conflict in fiction and popular culture
August 21, 2025
Move over Margaret Atwood and George Orwell. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is another imaginer of future history whose sci-fi story parallels unfolding news. Player Piano, published in 1952, anticipated today's hopes and fears. In this story-world, algorithms replaced decision-making and AI replaced workers.
Conflict Competence
January 5, 2025
Are you tempted to be aggressive towards an adversary in hopes of achieving your preferred conflict outcome. In the podcast, I suggest other approaches that are more likely to get the result you want.
Conflict Competence
November 23, 2024
People who attend courses about managing conflicts report that they love the interactive experience, are excited about the skills they learn, give glowing testimonials to the instructors, see value in the material, and ... and then what? The follow up isn't encouraging.
Conflict Competence
January 25, 2021
Youths hang out online, where they can hang up, close the browser, switch tabs, open another app, flame an adversary in social media, block/ghost/gaslight, or log out. We know how to avoid conflict. Avoiding conflict rarely teaches anything useful for healthy and positive relationships. So, what are other options?
The Cassandra files
January 10, 2021
Societies are in hot disagreements over what limits on freedom are reasonable. Authorities emphasize reasonable limits as the answer. Protesters emphasize freedom. Traditional who, what, where, when and why questions don't ask: how do protesters define freedom?
The Cassandra files
October 1, 2020
A job ad I don't want to see. If you heard a pitch for a reality TV game show called Who is the Next Top Judge, would you watch?