RESOLVING CONFLICT

Let me say this straight up; resolving conflict is a tough topic. Resolving conflict - and I mean actually resolving, not pretending like everything is okay when it’s not - is one of the hardest skills to learn as a human. Each person has their own orchestra of limiting beliefs and needs that aren’t being met, with a Voice of Small (negative self-talk) singing loud over the top, all colliding into a cacophony of chaos with no way to turn down the volume.

I’m not just saying this only about adolescent conflict. I’m saying this about all human conflict.

We all exist in communities, and with that proximity comes the high likelihood of conflict. But when do we learn how to exist in conflict? When do we learn the skills to move through it and resolve it? If we learn at all, it’s normally once we’re already in the conflict. And while I don’t believe it’s ever too late to choose differently, it sure would be nice if we had the skills beforehand.

It’s like asking someone who’s never played the guitar to join the band right before they take the stage. No thanks!

The best way to learn a skill is to practice it in a safe environment, and that’s exactly why we created the Resolving Conflict module. Students learn what conflict is, why it exists, and a framework that guides them through resolving it. They practice with hypothetical scenarios that build empathy. They’ll come to view conflict differently, not as a reason to hate the other person or suppress their own needs, but as an opportunity to see the view from the other person.

Resolving conflict doesn’t always mean that things will return to how they were, but it does make forgiveness possible. Forgiveness is one of those funny words we often use without understanding what it is or how to do it, so we explore that too.

These are crucial life skills.

In community,

Lex