Ordering Pizza Instead – A Simple Mindset Shift that Dials Back the Disagreement

Have you ever thought you could dial back a disagreement by ordering pizza?

Would you agree that avid disagreement is kind of a thing these days? Even in some instances, disagreement has become a full-contact sport. It doesn’t matter if it’s at work, home, weekend sports, holiday gatherings, or whatever the setting may be.

Here’s an idea. A few weeks ago, I was once again wasting time on social media when a meme I scrolled upon suggested some human activity was as difficult as a group of people deciding on what kind of pizzas to order.

After pondering the process of ordering pizza over the next few days, it occurred to me we might just have something useful here.

<Lightbulb moment.> 

What if we acted like we’re ordering pizza when we disagree?

I’m serious, so stick with me here… Think about the last time you ordered pizza with friends or at the office. Allow me to predict what happened…

The decision to order pizza was easy because everyone loves pizza, right? Then the negotiations must begin.

We begin with a full round of hemming and hawing around before anyone musters up the courage to make any semblance of a suggestion.

Round two launches with the meat of the negotiations when that guy, with all sincerity, proposes “Well, let’s get at least one supreme because that way everybody gets something they like.”

In case you were wondering—He really likes supreme.

Here’s the interesting part–every single person at the table knows exactly what toppings they like. Yet the nuanced back and forth must run its course.

And if the group is one of critical mass, you can count on somebody breaking the deadlock of indecisiveness by announcing that he’ll have anything but anchovies. Well, DUH… it’s America’s least favorite topping! The thing is that it helps strike a sense of unity.

No one wants to just come out and say what they like.

The group must work through the sacred pizza Kabuki dance in order to find the various overlapping of commonalities among the table.

I’m a sausage and mushroom guy myself and I behave the same way. And here’s the funny thing—while researching this post I found out that sausage and mushroom are both top-five choices for pizza toppings in America. Who knew?

Why have I been so afraid to speak up? What is it about pizza that makes us suddenly care so much about others’ thoughts and feelings? To resist causing a fuss? To be flexible?

For something where everybody has their own idea of what’s right, or totally wrong, and absolutely undoubtedly the best way to go, it’s amazing how we stick together to the end. We all maintain the utmost respect for each other until the pizza order is placed.

Trying to change someone’s idea of the best kind of pizza in one lunch break is a feckless pursuit. That’s fairly easy to accept, right?

With pizza, this is understood. 

I can’t remember a time when someone was able to convince someone else not to order the meat lovers pizza, nor did they try. And we understand the impossibility of steering that one co-worker away from getting her own personal-size veggie pizza. She has more reasons than we know or care to know.

The cool thing about this is—we all seem to respect each others’ differences when we’re choosing toppings. So let’s just start thinking like we’re ordering a pizza when conversation starts heating up.

Extra cheese anyone?

Be untucked.

p.s. You’re thinking about someone, aren’t you? Go ahead and share this post with them. They’ll thank you for it!

Copyright © 2024 Jeff Meister – All Rights Reserved – 100% anchovy free