Chapter 16: Post One

1). After reading Chapter 16 in its entirety, answer the following question: Why do you think people have such negative views of conflict?  Do you think that as people know more about conflict, they fear it less?   Why or why not?

I think that our book explores very clearly, the reasons why people have negative views of conflict. I believe that people have negative views of conflict because they have many negative experiences with others when they do not handle conflict properly; we are then conditioned to believe that conflict is always a painful and negative experience. I think that most people don’t view conflict as a process and that there is no way that conflict could have positive benefits to their relationships. I think that as people learn more about conflict, not only do they understand conflict in a different way, but they also fear it less. Viewing conflict as a process can makes conflict appear more approachable and manageable because people have an idea of what steps they can take to resolve their conflicts, and also what strategies they can use to communicate more effectively in their relationships with others. Understanding conflict and knowing how to approach it correctly can improve our relationships, and change our perceptions of conflict for the better.