Conflict

There are people who just thrive on conflict. I just see that. A good friend of mine, Hal Weldin talks about the people who can only feel close to others when they are in conflict with them. It is a completely misguided sense of intimacy.

There are others who can only experience power when they do it in conflict with others. Rather than letting their work, or the validity of their arguments make their point and for them to slowly develop their credibility, they jump in people's face. It is hurtful.

There are others who just are mean.

There are those who have a combination of the above.

I am tired of people who sit in the background and throw stones. They don't contribute. They snipe. They criticize. They give zero energy. They tear down, they don't build up. They thrive on divisiveness.

I don't want to give these people any more of my time.

Don't tell me problems. Tell me solutions.
Don't criticize someone else's solutions unless you have one to contribute.
Realize that there may be a multitude of reasons for someone's actions. Don't assume the worst.
Hear others.

There is conflict around an issue in the youth and family ministry world in our denomination that I am tired of hearing about. Those being critical a) have no power to change it. b) are misguided in their reasoning. c) are assuming the worst.

I don't want to give it any more of my time.

Excuse the ranting-nature of this post. It is becoming tiring.