Monday, November 17, 2008

Conflict... How do you handle it?

I am just curious as to how different families handle conflicts within the family.

Do you express how you feel , get it out , and let it go? I do in most cases.

Do you hold it in until you explode? I have done this.

Do you just pretend there is no conflict and never deal with it? I know a few that do. It seems so unnatural pretending things are always honky-dory when they are not.

As new members enter our family and circle of friends, I am discovering alot more of the latter question. How can you pretend there is no conflict? My blood pressure would be through the roof. If the opportunity surfaces, I will express my concern, grievance or conflict. I will fuss, yell or talk about it but once it is off my chest it is gone. I am ok thirty minutes later. I have run across a few people recently that think everything in a family is supposed to be wonderful all the time, no conflict. You never snap at one another and you never point out anyone's short-comings . Not that we look for them but faults do surface. Well how can we become better people if we don't express our feelings, learn from it and move on? Shouldn't your family be the one place that you can expect honesty no matter what. Are we really being honest with each other when we don't solve conflict or just pretend it does not exist?

As you can tell my mind has been wandering and discovering hypothetical questions. . Wow tomorrow may be the true meaning of life.

2 comments:

betty said...

we handle them pretty much like you said; different things cause us to handle them different ways; sometimes we blow up, sometimes we avoid them for a bit, sometimes we act rationale; just depends how passionate we are about the situation

it is always a learning experience though when new people enter the equation and bring in how they handle conflict

betty

Margaret said...

My family has probably handled conflict in every way you described above. I suppose the best thing is that no matter what, we all love each other, and even though there's one or two that make me mad at times, or get on my nerves...there's still love. Over the years I've come to realize just how blessed I am, because even though we are dysfunctional at times, we have that love that binds us.