Avoid Conflict
Impacts: Mind, Health, Home, Work, Money, Community, Time
“When angry, count ten before you speak; if very angry, an hundred.” – Thomas Jefferson
“Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.” – John F. Kennedy
“I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.” - Abraham Lincoln
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” – Buddha
“Peace is more important than all justice; and peace was not made for the sake of justice, but justice for the sake of peace.” – Martin Luther
“War is the greatest plague that can affect humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.” – Martin Luther
“Though the bamboo forest is dense, water flows through it freely.” – Zen proverb
The main problem with choosing to resolve differences through conflict is that the final cost is incalculable at the onset. This is because it is not known what the opposition will bring to the table or what responses will be required. This is true for every kind of conflict from arguments at home, to lawsuits, to world wars.
When the final cost is incalculable it’s impossible to know if choosing to resolve the difference through conflict will turn out to be positive or negative. It’s like jumping off a cliff without knowing the height of the fall. It could be a street curb or the grand canyon. The risk is only acceptable if you know the final cost.
The only certainty is that the conflict will cost money, time, energy, and sometimes lives. This is why conflicts of all kinds should be avoided. Conflicts by their nature involve accepting unknown amounts of risk and gambling without knowing the rules of the game.
The people who enjoy or profit from conflict will always advocate war, legal battles, and incite arguments. Some do it for sport and others for profit. It is also easy to get sucked into conflicts so the next time it happens to you try to step back and consider the potential benefits and costs and look for other ways to resolve the difference.
On a larger scale try to always vote for the elected officials who put war after diplomacy and social services before defense budgets. Governments wield enormous amounts of power and can spend money we don’t have at extremely fast rates. The world will be a better place to live when we can choose people to represent us in government who recognize that war and conflict is not the best way to bring us peace, prosperity, stability and freedom.
Take Action
- Be like a duck.
- When opportunities for conflict arise look for ways both sides can walk away with a win.
- Find alternative ways of dealing with anger. We often get enticed into conflict by our own feelings.
- Be on the lookout for those that like to stir things up. Avoid these people.
