Originally from Alternatives to the High Cost of Litigation

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Conflicts are a part of our lives that we simply cannot get rid of. Without conflict, life would be dull.

Conflicts have their pros and cons. But it is entirely up to us how we approach each conflict. The approach is what decides whether the conflict becomes negative or positive.

Difficult conversations are part of conflict management. See, e.g., Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, & Sheila Heen, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most (Penguin Books; Anniversary, Updated 10th Anniversary edition (Nov. 2, 2010)). It is those conversations that we do not want to address. They are conversations that make us uncomfortable, such as asking for a raise at work.