I would wager most people would rather avoid conflict than engage in it, generally speaking. Granted, there are instances in which there are no options aside from confronting the conflict head-on, but, if there is a possibility to dodge said turmoil, most of us would prefer the latter over the former.
Personally, when I end up in a situation in which I have offended someone or someone else has offended me, my preference is to address the issue as soon as possible. I do not enjoy having to wait to resolve a problem, and while this may seem like a good trait to possess, it can backfire occasionally.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to determine how to go about approaching conflict. As I said, it seemingly makes sense to tackle the issue sooner than later to refrain from allowing it to worsen, or build, with time. But, just because we would prefer to resolve the problem right then and there, sometimes, the other people involved in the issue are not ready to discuss it moments after it occurs, and the different ways to approach and address conflict must be acknowledged by both parties to ensure an utmost resolution.
It can be tricky to recognize this, but just because we think the right thing to do with tension is to tackle it immediately, it doesn’t mean it is. Furthermore, it is possible that our desire to rectify the situation as quickly as possible only angers the other people, or person, involved, to an even further extent, because perhaps they need some time to collect their thoughts and emotions. If we are overly aggressive in our approach to making amends, it may make the other party feel invalidated or rushed to come to a resolution, whether that resolution is what was truly desired by both sides or not.
Sometimes, waiting is best when it comes to conflict resolution.
Photo by Etienne Boulanger on Unsplash
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