Conflict

One may think that conflict is best avoided, and that peace will always be more beneficial. It is my belief that this is not the case. This does not mean that there should be fights amongst group members, disagreements, threats or anything of the sort. Conflict is defined as “to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition; clash”. The most important part of understanding conflict is acknowledging conflict in its different forms.

None of the above necessarily means violence or even assumes negativity. They simply mean that there are two opposing views. In the context of our collaborative project, opposing views have always been healthy. In our first decision making process as a group, a conflict had already arisen. Were we to choose the difficult, organic-looking Zaha Hadid building? Or were we to choose the much more geometric Harry Seidler building? This may have caused our group problems, but our methods of conflict resolution ensured that we dealt with the situation in the most productive way. One could go so far as to say that the conflict was more beneficial to our group than if we had not discussed this clash at all.

William Ellery Channing said “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” This is an excellent quote for our group to remember whenever a conflict arises, because it means we do not fear conflict, we welcome it knowing that we will learn and grow from every conflict that arises, provided we deal with it with open minds and a responsible attitude.