To get started, you’ll want to download a set of ‘Are You More Like…’ questions from the Resources tab. Or, in addition to, you can of course create your own, peculiar to your group and its characteristics and write these on a set of index cards.
Also, be sure that you have select and organise the cards to start with a complete set of paired statements, ie each person in your group must be able to find a ‘match.’ For example, if you have 40 people, you’ll need 20 sets of matched statements. Get it?
When ready, randomly distribute one card to each person. As an individual receives their card, they are entitled to look at it, but should not show it to anyone else, not yet.
Explain that each person will soon mix and mingle with others in the group in an effort to find their match.
That is, each person is tasked to find the word or statement on another card that is the best fit as matching the polar opposite or antithesis of their own card. For example, the match for CAT is DOG. The match for BOTTOM is TOP. The match for DOOR is WINDOW, etc.
Here is a very short list of ‘Are You More Like…’ questions to help you understand what a matched-pair looks like:
SLIDE – SWING
LADDER – TREE
EXPLORER – SETTLER
LANDING – TAKE-OFF
MOVIE – TELEVISION
GIVER – RECEIVER
ANYTHING – SOMETHING
DEFENSE – OFFENSE
Alert your group to the fact that it may take some time viewing most, if not all, of the cards to identify the best match for one’s card.
Once everyone is matched, invite each pair to share their response to the question posed by the conjunction of their two cards – Are You More Like… a CAT or a DOG?, for example.
Encourage people to dive as deep in their sharing as they feel comfortable. Younger people will often choose the characteristic they ‘like’ the best, whereas older people tend to enjoy exploring the more metaphorical connections. No matter – that people are sharing is all that matters.
Allow each partnership 1-2 minutes to share, and then prepare to re-distribute the cards.
The quickest and easiest way I know to achieve a decent, random re-distribution is to instruct each person to hold their card face-down, and mingle with others in the group, swapping cards one-for-one as they pass. Continue for 10-20 seconds until all of the cards have been thoroughly, and randomly re-distributed. Then stop (ensuring each person is still holding just one card,) and start over.
Repeat this matching, sharing and re-distributing process for as long as there is energy and enthusiasm in your group to share.
The first instalment of ‘Are You More Like…?’ questions appeared in the book Games For Teachers by Chris Cavert and Laurie Frank. Chris tells me that there was such a great response to this first set of ‘colourful quandaries’ his colleague Susana and he decided to keep going, and didn’t stop until they hit 1,001 questions to consider. Click here to access 981 more question-pairs from Chris’s blog at FUNdoing.
This exercise works best in pairs, but you can also pose this series of questions to small groups. Just don’t make them too big, lest you shut down some people’s propensity to share.
When possible, depending on the abilities of your group, encourage people to think more about the deeper meaning of the characteristics in each question, and how these may or may not relate to them.
If sharing in a group context, always start with simple questions, and then gradually build to more challenging topics, eg HOT TUB – SAUNA versus DICTIONARY – THESAURUS.
Humans spend a lot of time looking for difference. It’s the way our brains are wired, to be attracted to things that are different, yet in real life, we tend to find comfort with the things that we are like or are like. In this next exercise, we’re going to explore a series of differences that we have with others, and similarities….
You will have heard that most people fall into one of two categories. The interesting thing is that there are squillions are categories. Here are just a few to choose from…
User Reviews, Comments & Ideas...
Have you played this activity? What worked, what didn't work? What type of group? Do you have useful advice for other users? Do you know a fun variation?