Consensus
#Consensus
Families in the Fifth World almost universally use consensus to reach decisions. Generally, this means that each member can
- support a motion,
- oppose a motion, or
- abstain.
Few families require everyone to support a motion to do it, but they do require that at least no one oppose it. The cajoling and discussion that this process requires can take a very long time, but it generally results in better decisions than an individual leader could make.
Not everyone has the same influence on these decisions, of course, and this does create some informal power dynamics. However, these dynamics also shift frequently as discussion moves from one topic to the next. The people most respected on the question of where to find boar may differ markedly from the people most respected on the question of where to find water. No one can climb to the top of every possible ladder. Most of the time, everyone will have a moment as the most respected person in the family, and plenty of time yielding to the advice of others. Usually elders have earned more respect than others, but even the youngest child can sway a family's decision with a good argument.