Does Mediation Mean Compromise?
Mediation is a term that has become more and more familiar to the general public. We see it used in the context of foreign affairs, industrial relations, and alternatives to court. It is still a relatively new concept to individuals when it applies to themselves and their daily lives, however. When considering mediation with a soon-to-be-ex-spouse, a neighbor, or a business associate, mediation becomes something very personal. We ask ourselves questions about whether or not mediation is in our own best interest. And, since mediation has often been associated with compromise, we ask ourselves if we should be making compromises. What is compromise, and is it a good thing or a bad thing? First, when we look at definitions of compromise in the dictionary, there is this dichotomy of good and bad compromise. Here are three definitions presented in Websters New Collegiate Dictionary: a. the process or a result of settlement by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions; b. someth
