Conflict
- abuse, abuser, Conflict, Contempt, Controlling Behaviors, Narcissism, narcissist, narcissistic abuse, narcissistic kids, narcissists, Sociopath
How to Grey Rock Your Way Out of Toxic Relationships
The most interesting thing about a grey rock is how utterly lacking in interest it is. Think of all the grey rocks you have walked past without even noticing. Turns out no one is interested in them except the occasional geologist. For the person attempting to avoid a run-in with a manipulator or anyone trying to lose the attention of a narcissist, it is inspirational. Narcissists cannot stand it when they don’t get the attention they feel they deserve. And if their victims consistently put in practice these few suggestions, they may just succeed in losing the patronage of the predator. After all, you can’t get blood from a stone,…
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Conflict: Four Common Misconceptions
I remember attending a seminar about conflict about a dozen years ago. The speaker made the point that conflict in and of itself isn’t good or bad. It is merely an event that must be dealt with. I don’t know if I fully agree with that. Conflict feels pretty awful much of the time, at least to an empathetic person like me who wants everyone to hold hands and sing Kum bah Yah. Another speaker on the same topic held up a dollar bill in the middle of the room. He made the point that each side of the room saw a totally different side of the same thing. Neither…
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Four Uncomfortable Truths about Peace
Peace is an essential component of a fulfilling life. Constant conflict spends our energies, wastes our strength, and distracts us from the really good things in life. But we often settle for an imitation of peace rather than the real thing. I often settled for a harmony that was not real because instinctively I knew that real peace would require me to make some real sacrifices. In fact, I have faced quite a few situations in which a genuine accord seemed impossible so I accepted something far less in order to avoid a reality that I did not want to admit to. The real deception, of course, was that I…
