CONFLICT is a natural part of life. It happens when goals, ideas, needs, or feelings do not match. It can be an internal struggle within our own minds or a disagreement with other people. When handled with care, conflict can help us learn, grow, and solve important problems.
Conflict can bother us intensely because our brain and nervous system may treat emotional disagreement almost like a physical threat to our well-being.
We find ourselves in conflict with ourselves many times throughout life. Our future gives us cause for concern, while we remain trapped by the past. In worrying about both, we sometimes forget to live in the present and prepare ourselves for the future.
Conflicts are natural clashes of opposing ideas, needs, or values. We can experience conflict internally — when our beliefs clash with our actions — or externally, when we disagree with someone else. Handled properly, conflict can become a valuable tool for learning, personal growth, and improving our relationships.
Grief and sorrow once asked Hope, “How are you?” Hope answered, “I am a little low and sad today!” Sorrow replied sarcastically, “I hope so!”
When conflict is mismanaged, it can cause great harm to a relationship. But when handled in a respectful and positive way, conflict provides an opportunity to strengthen the bond between two people. Whether we experience conflict at home, at work, or in school, learning how to resolve our differences in a healthy way can help us build stronger and more rewarding relationships.
When people become angry with each other, they often say or do things without fully understanding the cause of their feelings. Understanding the dynamics behind a conflict can make it easier to resolve problems. This insight can also help us mediate conflicts among friends and relatives. Many experts classify personal and professional conflicts into basic types according to the underlying causes of disagreements and the dynamics involved.
Nobody really knows what might happen after reaching retirement age. Of course, we can observe our neighbors and other people around us, although sometimes we may not really want to know what awaits us. If we take good care of ourselves, perhaps our real age will not easily show. I make no secret of the fact that I will celebrate my 70th birthday sometime next year. I look forward to it. I am proud and grateful to reach this age with God’s help.
There are two main types of conflict. Internal or intrapersonal conflict happens within ourselves. It is a struggle between what we want to do and what we believe is right. For example, we may want to spend money on a new gadget while also wanting to save for a trip. External or interpersonal conflict, on the other hand, happens between two or more people. It can be an argument with a friend, a disagreement with a co-worker at the office in the Poblacion District, or even a heated debate over politics.
It seems that the respectful treatment of our beloved seniors is slowly disappearing into the past, forgotten by some members of the younger generation. Praising the elderly nowadays sometimes means marveling at their seemingly imperishable youthfulness. I am sure that, with His help, many seniors remain strong and indefatigable — still remarkable, still intellectual, and, above all, still spiritual!
Let us not forget to show them respect. We should also avoid sounding artificial or condescending when expressing surprise that “our old lady” or “our old gentleman” has not become senile yet.
On our journey toward an honorable and respectable old age, we should try to fulfill some of our greatest longings in life.
Over the past decades, I have met many people around the globe. Amazingly, I discovered that no matter where we are in this world, conflicting attitudes are everywhere. “It’s an absolute certainty, those doubts are the main certainty!” German author, philosopher and dramatist Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) once stressed.
Please allow me, once in a while, to say NO. Please allow me to let go of feelings of inferiority and defeatism. Please allow me to admit that I cannot do everything in a single day. Please allow me to stop being afraid of other people and their spiteful comments about me.
Please allow me to embrace my silence. Please accept that I can be terribly tired from time to time. Please allow me to excuse myself even when I do not have an intelligent reply. Please allow me to be carried by salvation and bliss.
Hopefully, we will always have enough understanding people around us to accompany us on the voyage through our sometimes very conflicting lives.
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Email me: doringklaus@gmail.com or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com and www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com, or follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter)./PN
