Conflict is an inevitable part of life. We encounter it in our personal relationships, at work, and even within ourselves. While conflict is often viewed as a negative experience, it can actually offer surprising benefits. In this article, we will explore the role of conflict in promoting personal growth and building stronger connections with others.
This article was published during the COVID-19 pandemic, a day after the count of globally-documented cases surpassed one million. I felt it was necessary to write this as much for you, dear reader, as for myself. At this point, we don’t really know what the world will look like when the pandemic is over. What I do know is that uncertainty breeds anxiety. Stress clouds our ability to focus on much of anything, let alone resolving conflicts between adversaries. It would be easy to just tell everyone to forgive and forget, but in reality, conflicts only escalate if left to fester indefinitely. After 25 years as a mediator, I assure you, it’s possible to manage conflict in stressful times. In this article, I offer a few options.
Very few of us engage in conflicts with confidence and ease. In fact, most people fear conflict. Conflict avoiders are all around us. So are conflict magnets, or people who seem to thrive on drama and conflict. They don’t stir things up because they enjoy conflict. Typically, they’re not skilled at engaging appropriately in conflict, and internal triggers fuel actions that inflame conflicts. Conflict isn’t typically in anyone’s comfort zone, but there are strategies to help us be more resilient in conflicts.
