Conflict Managed Ep 159, Stop Investing in That Argument
May 20, 2025
Regina B. Newson, a Tennessee Rule 31 listed mediator and former social worker/HR consultant, shares decades of hands-on mediation experience. She talks about when to stop investing in arguments. Conversations cover what mediation really is, how conflicts often start inside us, the personal cost of staying in fights, and practical ways to step back and preserve wellbeing.
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Chopping Cotton Taught Ruthless Work Discipline
- Regina's first job was chopping cotton on her father's 40-acre Arkansas farm starting around age seven or eight.
- She learned punctuality, work discipline, and the expectation to stay sunup to sundown before working for others at age 14.
Mediation Is A Time Limited Witness Role
- Mediation is a time-limited witness role focused on helping parties stop investing in the fight rather than carrying an ongoing caseload.
- Regina values single-session resolution: sit with people, identify emotions, show routes forward, then release them to act.
Stop Investing In Arguments Count The Cost
- Stop investing energy in every argument by asking if the fight is worth your time and what prize you gain.
- Learn the power of 'click' — hang up or walk away when someone is deliberately pushing your buttons.