Rain has been around a lot longer than humans. Sun, too. As long as our species has existed there has been weather, and people have found lots of different ways to handle it.
It’s rough out there. Wars, atrocities, mass shootings, global warming, toxic polarization, free-floating anger and anxiety. As I talk to people around me, I find many are distracted and off-center.
The misunderstandings, assumptions and judgments between generations cause some real conflicts. It is natural for people to believe the way they were raised, the time they grew up and the standards they considered as the norm are superior to other generations’ ways of being. Just like my grandmother and her hand-cranked dryer, it is hard to adopt to new ways.
When my grandmother handed me the wet clothes and told me to “put them through the wringer,” I had no idea what to do. “Go ahead, don’t dawdle. Get those clothes done.”
This month I ask you to get out your reading glasses and absorb some new ideas from various authors. I’d like to introduce you to writers who are expanding knowledge in the field of conflict resolution and connected topics. Happy reading!
What is US and THEM and what does it have to do with Conflict? In social philosophy, objectification is the act of treating a person as an object. It is part of dehumanization -- the act of disavowing the humanity of others.
We are all in this together. It’s a phrase we don’t hear enough of these days, and it brings forth the idea of mutuality. Mutuality is a positive, interactive relationship between people. The word comes from mutual -- meaning given and received in a reciprocal way.
Human needs drive conflict. Our lives are made up of the drive to satisfy needs. From the human needs for food, water and sleep to the needs of fulfilling relationships and the need for meaningful work, we can trace our life history through the process of attempting to meet our needs.