I found the different ways we express conflict to be interesting because I can relate most of these ways to relationships I have with my friends. My friend Amy tends to use the ‘withdraw’ method when she senses conflict. She would rather not deal with conflict so if she senses conflict about to arise she will change the subject, leave the room and do everything she possibly can to stop a conflict from forming.
Sometimes when my friend Jenn is really angry, she will unfortunately use the ‘forcing’ method of conflict. She tends to forget that the person she is arguing with is an actual human being with feelings and says and does everything she can think of to get her point across because she feels she is right and the other person is wrong.
I think of myself as in the middle between Amy and Jenn and always try my hardest to compromise and problem solve. No matter how angry I get, I am usually good at seeing the other person’s point of view in a conflict and if it makes sense then I am more than willing to compromise. However, if you ask my friends, they may tell you a different story…..
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings on the withdraw concept. I think it is good and bad, just depending on the situation. If someone else is trying to cause conflict between you two or is being aggresive and you sense conflict could arise if you stay, then it's best to remove yourself from the situation. If you're being calm and the other is trying to start something, then withdraw. It's never going to help anything by being the forcer; you're just going to make any conflict/potential conflict worse. But if there's already conflict going on between yourself and someone else, then you shouldn't walk away from it. Because it's just going to be there when you go back, so just resolve it right then and there.