Conflict

I hate conflict. I used to do just about anything to avoid it, but when you have children, it becomes ineveitable. (sigh) Also, there are times when you just have to hash things out with your spouse, so that communication is clear.

I find though, sometimes, that I have conflict with my conscious. I do mystery shops - therefore, I lie. I don't like to lie - I don't lie in any other aspect of my life (well...do little white ones count?) and so it feels very uncomfortable. I feel as if I'm in conflict the whole time I'm doing it. I have come to terms with some of them - but there are still shops that I've decided not to do simply because it makes me too uncomfortable. It's not life or death that I be there doing it, so I will not.

What makes it reasonable? Why do we place ourselves in these kind of situations? I don't know, but I know part of it is like stress. Conflict causes stress - simply because we don't know how to deal with it, or the other party is not trying to work things through.

How do you deal with conflict? Do you want to go out and kill everyone who makes you angry? (like that group of people in the middle east who think the world is out to get them)
Or do you run away and hide - pretending it doesn't exist? Unfortuately one cannot avoid conflict all of one's life - but you can still deal with it. You have to decide if the conflict is worth the stress. If it is, you deal with it. If it's not, you don't. Just watch it doesn't bite you in the butt!

The problem is though, you have to confront a child when they lie, or steal, or hurt someone else. That is what parenting is about. That's what family is for - you know, grandma, grandpa, aunts and uncles. They have a large influence on all of us. That's why it's the cornerstone of our society.

It occurs to me that perhaps that is part of societies job as well. Aren't we supposed to encourage good behavior in each other? Not being judgemental - just encouraging. That is why we have laws, isn't it? To discourage bad behavior and encourage good.

It seems to me that this has been going down hill the past couple of decades. Everyone is so concerned about ME. What do I get out of it? How does that possibly help ME?

Remember the 'Me Generation?' I don't think it left. I think it's just getting worse. Because (and this is just my opinion here) todays parents are the ones from the me generation, and they haven't changed...so their children are now doubly worse...

Where do you think what's his face came from that wrote Million Pieces? Sad.

Just the thought for the day...