This week’s conflict resolution tip is about how it is important to look at conflict with optimism.
Nobody likes being conflict—it’s uncomfortable, emotionally exhausting, and can lead to negative outcomes if not handled constructively. Due to the nature of conflict, people often think of it as a negative thing—as something to be challenged or avoided. However, conflict is neither negative nor positive, but is neutral. Certainly, conflict has the capability of bringing negative or positive outcomes. But conflict itself should be reframed as an opportunity for creativity.
If we look back at history, some of the greatest innovations and collaborations have come from a point of tension, friction, and conflict. Whether it’s in nature, intrapersonal, interpersonal, or intergroup interactions, conflict brings with it an opportunity for creative change. For example, in interpersonal relationships, when we face conflict head-on instead of avoiding it, we often find that our relationships are given an opportunity to grow deeper. It additionally allows for each person to understand better how the other works. Ultimately, viewing conflict with optimism and seeing it as an opportunity for positive outcomes can provide more innovation, more productivity, and improved well-being to everyone involved. If you want to bring more peace to your life, consider how you can better look at conflict with optimism.
