Conflict # 25 – Avoidance
Since reasonable people don’t enjoy rough personal conflict, they tend to avoid it when possible. They pick their battles carefully. [I mention “rough conflict” in contrast to respectful, mature disagreements. There’s no harm in having a civil discussion… Read More
Conflict # 24 – Do Not Assume
A middle-aged client of mine is struggling with the hard reality that his wife wants out of the marriage. He has repeatedly said about her, “I don’t know what she thinks about the fact that I work with… Read More
Conflict # 23 – Defensiveness
Here’s a follow-up to my post “It’s Not Personal”. Once upon a time we built walls to protect ourselves … in our youth, when we were small and helpless. The walls kept us safe. And so we came… Read More
Conflict # 22 – It’s Not Personal
“Let us be kind to one another, for most of us are fighting a hard battle.” – Rev. John Watson A mother bought her son two beautiful sweaters for his twenty-first birthday. Later that week, getting ready for… Read More
Conflict # 21 – Unrealistic Expectations
“Women marry men, expecting that they will change. Men marry women, hoping they won’t.” – Author unknown From early childhood we learn to think about what’s next; the next moment, the next day, week, year. We develop expectations…. Read More
Conflict # 20 – The Internal Struggle
Two people, Jason and Justin, each with opposite life situations. Jason hates his job. He is struggling financially. His home life is in tatters. Justin has a passion for his profession, enjoys a happy relationship and loves his… Read More
Conflict # 19 – Lying
In putting together these posts on conflict, I skipped the obvious comments, assuming they go without saying … No yelling or screaming, no property destruction, no physical violence, no threats, no running away, no foul language, no name-calling… Read More
Conflict # 18 – Differing Styles
Jack and Jill are having a hard time resolving a conflict. Not only that, but they also disagree about how and when to address it. Jill thinks quickly. She wants to address the issue and move on. But… Read More
Conflict # 17 – The Blame Game
If you’re reading this, I assume you’re interested in improving your way of handing conflicts. I appreciate that, and am confident this article will help you. Please don’t try to apply this information at the workplace or with… Read More
Conflict # 16 – Hang in There!
If you know how a pressure cooker works, you know it contains a valve on the lid that allows steam to escape slowly. Without the release valve, the pot would explode. Keep that image in mind, please. Most… Read More
