Back when I was at an all-boys high school, if a fight broke out at the school and judged a fair fight, the boys would tie on some boxing gloves and settle their beef in the school gym. The gym teacher would referee the fight, and nobody else was allowed into the gymnasium. After a lot of huffing, puffing, and amateur boxing  – the fight was over, and two exhausted boys would stagger out of the double doors, clean up, and got back to class. Shaking hands at the end of part of the ritual. It was time to move. Hopefully closure. 

This might sound barbaric, but it dealt with young boys’ emotions head-on, and it buried the hatchet then and there.

What destroys relationships is not fighting, it’s festering. These days we can’t and won’t get into a boxing ring with each other, but the lesson here is don’t bear a grudge, clear the air and say your piece. Holding onto anger is exhausting!