Improving intercultural or interdemographic relationships is a critical endeavor for society, especially as the world has become more connected and increasingly diverse over the last century. So, how can we improve intercultural relationships? How can we begin to open our hearts to one another regardless of our socio-cultural differences, backgrounds and beliefs? Instead of focusing...
In workplace conflict resolution, just as in any peacebuilding effort, much of the success lies in the parties’ motivation to resolve the dispute. Of course, the conflict management specialist’s experience and talent is a large factor in a successful peacebuilding effort; but if the parties are not particularly motivated or are simply unwilling to fully...
Any group of individuals in any sort of setting who are attempting to cooperate in some fashion are sure to run into conflict from time to time. And family members, of course, are no exception. In fact, some of the most heated, emotional, long-standing, and painful disputes arise from family conflict. That’s probably because families...
I’m sitting at a Thai Cafe on Mission St. in San Francisco. Piano jazz plays softly from the speaker in the ceiling. I slurp on flat noodles while reading a research paper on existential depth psychotherapy, feeling very sophisticated. I chuckle at myself but nonetheless enjoy the moment. My phone rings. It’s my client —...
I very rarely write a personal blog piece because I think perhaps most people find more value in less subjective, more informational articles. But today, I’m feeling extremely fortunate and am compelled to write about it; and perhaps—hopefully—there lies some value in my statement of gratitude. Just about every day, I get to do something...
I have often heard the suggestion that “people are naturally violent.” And while it is true that human beings do have an innate capacity for violent aggression, I do not believe humans are intrinsically prone to violence. That is, our natural desire is to be in a state of peace, and so our natural state...
One of the saddest results of ongoing conflict is the destructive impact it can have on relationships. What could otherwise be a productive or even loving relationship has taken damage that often seems irreparable. This damage is especially sad when it affects other innocent parties, like family members, co-workers, or large groups of people. While...
One of the first tasks of any conflict management professional is understanding how to analyze a conflict in an efficient and thorough manner. There is a way to analyze any conflict fairly quickly and simply, and it requires that we start with the basic definition of conflict. With the proper definition, we can quickly plug...
Conflicts are a part of everyday life; which is why human beings, and animate life in general for that matter, are natural problem-solvers. Indeed, resolving conflict occurs multiple times every day, and most human conflicts are short lived. Of course, on the other hand, some conflicts last for years, seemingly unresolvable. One reason for the...
Most individuals and groups who appear stuck in long-standing conflicts define themselves, at least in part, as “the ones who must fight.” Whether they see themselves as victims, dominants, or simply as having to struggle to survive or thrive; whether this struggle is with another party or simply within themselves (the individual’s life or among...
