How do you win an argument? By proving the other person wrong? You may feel a fleeting victory, but if you've come out of a disagreement with one person right and the other wrong, and deeply chagrinned, then you both lose the pleasure of being on good terms with one another. And nobody enjoys the aftermath of an tiff, often characterized by hurt feelings and cold shoulders. To truly win an argument, you must settle the question but also reiterate to the other that the argument isn't more important than they are. This is where the small gesture of humility and caring comes in.

Alison Riley got into the business of ending arguments in 2004 with her eloquent "Stop Talking" cards, which have presumably stifled enough tit-for-tats that she went on to develop the "Mercy" set of let's-put-this-behind-us notes for her letterpress business Set Editions. She's also put together a brilliantly comprehensive collection of "every card you need this year" called Cardstock which is, as implied, a box of 40 cards and 42 envelopes for every occasion. seteditions.com