Healthy and unhealthy ways of managing and resolving conflict | |
Unhealthy responses to conflict: | Healthy responses to conflict: |
An inability to recognize and respond to the things that matter to the other person. | The capacity to empathize with the other person’s viewpoint. |
Explosive, angry, hurtful, and resentful reactions. | Calm, non-defensive, and respectful reactions. |
The withdrawal of love, resulting in rejection, isolation, shaming, and fear of abandonment. | A readiness to forgive and forget, and to move past the conflict without holding resentments or anger. |
An inability to compromise or see the other person’s side. | The ability to seek compromise and avoid punishing. |
Feeling fearful or avoiding conflict; expecting a bad outcome. | A belief that facing conflict head on is the best thing for both sides. |