Explain The Best Way To Respond To Conflict Essay

What is the best way to respond to conflict? There are many different ways, there are a lot of good ways to respond to conflict, and some bad ways too. peoples response to conflict can say a lot about us. It is very important that people react to conflict appropriately. People can best respond to conflict by having mindfulness, controlling emotions, and always having a positive attitude.

It is very important to have mindfulness when conflict arises. Without it the conflict could go awry and someone might walk away hurt. But having mindfulness is going to help the conflict get resolved in a better manner. “Practicing mindfulness in the middle of a conflict demands a willingness to stay present, to feel intensely, to override our negative thoughts, and to engage our breath to maintain presence with the body. Like any skill, it takes practice” (Hamilton). Being mindful also helps with the realization that there is more to life than arguing and getting into quarrels with people, there are much more important things. Segal and Smith point out that “Maintaining and strengthening the relationship, rather than “winning” the argument, should always be your first priority. Be respectful of the other person and his or her viewpoint”. Being mindful of the other person during conflict can help people make better decisions during conflict. For example, Sophie Scholl started

to not participate in class, she didn’t participate because she was not for National Socialism. The principle warned her that if she did not participate in class then she might not graduate and go to the University of Munich where she planned to study biology and philosophy. The threat worked and she started participating in class (Bartoletti 398-399). She had mindfulness because she assessed the conflict and decided to let it go and follow along, because of this, she had the ability to graduate. If she decided to fight the conflict, she could have been kicked out from her school.
It is also very important that people control emotions during conflicts, if they don’t, things could turn out bad. This is because “Conflict triggers strong emotions and can lead to hurt feelings, disappointment, and discomfort. When handled in an unhealthy manner, it can cause irreparable rifts, resentments, and break-ups. But when conflict is resolved in a healthy way, it increases our understanding of one another, builds trust, and strengthens our relationship bonds”(Segal and Smith). So controlling emotions will also allow for helping to solve the conflict. According to Positive Parenting Connection, “It is really healthy and helpful in conflict resolution when BOTH sides are able to give input and actually discuss the situation”(Ariadne Brill). If people don’t let both sides give input then the conflict will escalate and emotions will get out of hand. If people control emotions, things won’t get out of hand and people won’t make any stupid decisions that could end up costing them, instead, the conflict get solved a friendly manner. “Instead of attacking or recoiling, and later justifying our reactions, we can learn to stay present, participate in regulating our own nervous system, and eventually, develop new, more free and helpful ways of interacting”(Hamilton). That is why controlling emotions during conflict is important.

Another important thing to do while faced with a conflict is to have a positive and good attitude. Having a good attitude can’t make anything worse, it only will improve experiences even though the people are facing trouble. Having a bad attitude can only make things worse. In fact, “Studies show that you can surmount adversity, as long as you continue to have moments of joy. Humor plays a similar role when facing conflict”(Segal and Smith). In the case of Louise Ogawa, who was sent to the Poston Relocation Center In Arizona under terrible conditions, she kept a good attitude which only improved her overall bad experience. Louise Ogawa was sent to the Poston relocation Center and it was extremely hot, they reported a record 144 degrees. But she found something positive about her conflict despite the terrible conditions she was put through. She talks about the beauty of the Colorado River while she talks about how she seldom saw a human being(Ogawa 411-412). This helped her see the good things in her conflict and when the good things are noticed, it helps people to forget about the actual conflict itself. Louise Ogawa also describes beautiful scenery which helped improve her experience “Her delicate work in shaping the stone mountains, the beautiful coloring of the surroundings-- it seemed as if the picture or a painting of a genius”(Ogawa 412).
Overall, conflict is a big part of peoples lives.

If people don’t know how to face it the proper way, then people can get hurt, physically or mentally. If people face conflict the proper way then it allows them to move on and nobody gets hurt. The best way to face conflict is to be positive and have a good attitude, and also to be mindful and control emotions. There are even studies that prove this. In the case of Louise Ogawa, her positive attitude helped lift her experience, in the case of Sophie Scholl, her staying mindful helped her not escalate the conflict. Conflict resolution skills are very

important.

Works Cited
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. "Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow." Studysync: Reading & Writing Companion. Sonoma, CA: BookheadEd Learning, LLC, 2015. 398-400. Print.
Frank, Anne. "Anne Frank; The Diary of a Young Girl." Studysync: Reading & Writing Companion. Sonoma, CA: BookheadEd Learning, LLC, 2015. 372-374. Print.
Oppenheim, Joanne. “Dear Miss Breed.” Studysync: Reading & Writing Companion. Sonoma, CA: BookheadEd Learning, LLC, 2015. 407-13. Print.
Brill, Ariadne. "15 Positive Strategies for Dealing with Conflicts, Arguments & Back Talk."Positive Parenting Connection. Positive Parenting Connection, 19 Mar. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
Hamilton, Diane Musho. "Calming Your Brain During Conflict." Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business School Publishing, 16 Feb. 2016. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
Segal, Jeanne, and Melinda Smith. "Conflict Resolution Skills." Conflict Resolution Skills: Building the Skills That Can Turn Conflicts into Opportunities. Helpguide.org, Dec. 2016. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.