104 Superman's intentions are a conflict competence Artwork

Conflict Owner's Manual

We help you use conflict competencies you already have, so you can do conflict better.

Dr. Deborah Sword is a specialist in conflict analysis and management. Tyson Bankert is a community facilitator and artist. We have decades of experience and training in helping people expand their conflict competencies.

Our logo is a dandelion because conflict is like a weed you don't want in the garden. But since it's there, you want to know how to manage it, keep it from spreading, and feel good about how you dealt with it.

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Conflict Owner's Manual

104 Superman's intentions are a conflict competence

October 05, 2025 • Dr. Deborah Sword, with co-host Tyson Bankert • Season 4 • Episode 104

The movie, Superman, is a fun practice tool for analyzing how intentions matter in conflicts. As you intend, your actions follow. As Superman fights Lex Luthor's metahumans on the battlefield, they also wage a media war of words to win public belief over who is to be believed. Which one of them has true intention for good and which one has secret intention for evil? Luthor undermines trust in Superman's intentions, but Superman has allies uncovering the secrets of Luthor's intentions. In the end, the fight over intentions holds as much power among us humans as the beatings does among the metahumans.

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Dr. Deborah Sword is a conflict specialist with decades of experience and training to share.

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