Continuing our playground crisis, we move to another set of possibilities. Our strongest kid is still in between a rock and a hard place. Does he step in or leave himself out of it? Or is there another path?

Instead of resorting to brute tactics, the boy can speak to his peers. He can convince them that fighting is not the direction to go in. And with his “title” of strongest, his classmates would believe him. As children, being strong also meant being smart, in a sense.

This method is called diplomacy. As you know, this word’s meaning (from the Oxford dictionary), is “the profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations, typically by a country’s representatives abroad.” But this doesn’t have to apply to only international matters.

Our daily lives involve diplomacy, even in matters as simple as a playground conflict, or speaking to colleagues. And knowing how to use it is essential.