Conflict

Every man, woman, and child has been subjected to some form of conflict. If you say you haven’t you are in denial because from infancy you have been exposed to conflict. Naturally, as an infant you would have no recollection of the battle waged between you and your mother when she first introduced you to solid food. But, nonetheless, conflict begins and never leaves.

The simplest, most generic, definition of conflict is a struggle between people or ideas. From this definition four types of conflict have been categorized: conflict with self, conflict with others, conflict with the environment, and spiritual conflict. Although the word conflict originates from the Latin word for striking, physical violence rarely takes place. It’s more about opposing ideas. A disagreement or argument about something important, perceived or otherwise. For example, during self-conflict, you might find yourself wanting something and yet not wanting it at the same time. Or, wanting it but knowing the timing isn’t right. It’s back-and-forth, push-and-pull. Like being on both ends of the rope in an internal tug-of-war. The mental dialogue consists mostly of should and should nots. A smorgasbord of “what-ifs’ to choose from. This is conflict. A fundamental necessity because it leads to healthy human development and maturity. It really isn’t about the struggle but how you handle the struggle. Do you avoid it? Or, do you stare it in the face and tackle it head on? I believe the majority of self-conflict can be handled by simply letting go. Things really do have a way of hammering out if you just relax. But it is the wisdom of experience and maturity, with lots of past exposure to conflict, that allows you to wisely take no action at all. If you find yourself in the center of discord, in any variety, remember conflict propels the narrative forward. Without it there would be no growth.