Once upon a time, if you had a problem with someone, you handled it. Face-to-face. No texts. No ghosting. Just words — awkward, angry, clumsy, honest words.

This week, Bret and Josh get into the gritty life school of confrontation — what it taught us growing up Gen X, and what seems to be missing in today’s conflict-avoidant, GenZ Staring, emoji-coded culture. From hallway showdowns and forced apologies to the wild rise of “ghostlighting” and dry texting, this episode explores how avoiding tension might be killing our ability to grow, forgive, and move on.

We also dive into how this shift is affecting kids, relationships, and even workplaces — and challenge the idea that avoiding conflict is somehow healthier than working through it.