Conflict is a destructive force in society

Throughout life, we are constantly faced with hardships, most of which are not welcomed. As individuals or as part of a society, these hardships can either make or break us. Likewise, conflict is no different. It is often due to conflict that we feel hardship, but the question still stands: is conflict as destructive and forceful as it seems or are there instances where conflict can deliver good in society? Perhaps it works both ways. Through significant historical events we can see the many negative effects and outcomes conflict has delivered throughout the years. On the other hand though, it is these past events in history that have proved that negative does not always make a negative. It is often the way we react to situations that suggests the outcome of conflict. Likewise, the severity of the conflict can also play a significant role in the end result and influences how we react as individuals or groups. As organisms act in situations where they feel as though they are threatened, we too are the same. As humans, we do all in our power to fight the threat away and restore peace within ourselves and amongst others. At a significantly vulnerable time in American politics, the United States had gone through this very situation. Lasting from roughly 1950 to 1954, the McCarthy era had begun after politician at the time, Joseph McCarthy, made a speech anonymously accusing a few people of being members of the Communist Party. Having already had the Soviets spread their communist influence over to China at the time, fear, panic and suspicion were heightened amongst the people of America and suddenly everyone was seen as a potential threat. Furthermore, those who were accused of being communist sympathizers underwent conflict in their life such as imprisonment, career loss and devastation, showing how destructive this phenomenon was. By the end of it all, America ended up suffering as a society and a nation as trust and loyalty became a thing of the past. Sometimes though, it can be the actions of a group or individual that causes a minority or a whole society to suffer as a result. One may often even see it as an obligation or duty they feel that they must fulfill for their people. Other times, this very excuse can be taken advantage of in order to fulfill what they believe is right for a nation, despite the sacrifices made and a clouded conscience. More closely, the novel The Quiet American discusses this idea in more depth as it follows the story of Pyle, an American man who comes to Vietnam seeking a way to bring democracy and essentially, his Western views and values to the country. Having believed in being involved, Pyle was determinedto do good, not to any individual person but to a country, a continent, a world. This was of course met with many limitations as grave sacrifices were made and Vietnams society suffered as a whole, only for them to be justified as having died in the right cause. Ultimately, it werent for Pyles involvement and the Americans involvement in having been so determined to bring democracy to the people of Vietnam who just arent interested, perhaps there would not have been as much suffering. Perhaps a whole nation would have lived in peace knowing that they would have a greater chance of surviving the next day. After all, they dont want to be shot at. They want one day to be much the same as the other. It is a confession that most of us would hesitate to testify, it is a fact that most people tend to look at the negative side of matters, seeing only what has gone wrong before analyzing the positive outcomes. While we have proven that conflict is more than capable of tearing a society apart and impregnating people with characteristics that could potentially harm others, there still stands significant historical events that have proven otherwise. At a sensitive time for the United States, with racial segregation laws still in place, it took one act of courage to defy the law and stand up for what they believed in to start a chain of social acceptance. On

December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks who was an African-American woman, refused to give up her seat on a bus, which was specifically reserved for white passengers only. It was a simple act of defiance that caused the arrest of Parks later that day, but later made her an icon of the Civil Rights Movement and an international icon of resistance to racial segregation till this day. One could assume that not everyone would have accepted this revelation in peace; there would have been much disagreement and conflict surrounding this incident and the rights of coloured people in America amongst those who were against it. Despite it all, conflict and peace, this event proves that unity, freedom and acceptance can come as a result of something as little as this. This also shows that with a fighting force, through conflict and determination, you will prevail. Not only did Rosa Parks show her bravery, she also opened the doors for a whole society to accept one another, black or white. It is not very often that we come across altruism these days, or people who act selflessly for the benefit of others. It often takes self-discipline, passion and a good conscience to conduct such an act, characteristics most people have, but fail to put to good use. It is normal to want the best for yourself, for your family, for your friends. It is even normal to go out of our way to help or assist our close family and friends in times of need, it is our instinct and we often see it as an obligation we must fulfill as part of the family or as a close acquaintance. Family and friends is one thing, but complete strangers are entirely different. Having been a teacher and a headmistress at a convent school for almost twenty years, Mother Teresa became increasingly disturbed by the poverty surrounding her in Calcutta, India. Exposed to poverty, despair and violence, it was on 10 September 1946 that she experienced what she later described as the call within the call. Strongly influenced by her faith, she knew she had to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them and to refuse would mean breaking the faith. Beginning missionary work with the poor in 1948, her work influenced others to join her but her work also gave birth to more conflict. Her first year was fraught with difficulties as she had no income and had to resort to begging. Furthermore, she experienced doubt and loneliness while the temptation to return to the comfort of the convent life was strong. Those who were suffering throughout society were often shunned in India, but Mother Teresa addressed the issues in the community that everyone else chose to neglect. This shows how despite the hardships and personal conflict one may face, perseverance is always worth it. Mother Teresa not only started a congregation called the Missionaries of Charity, but she also influenced many to follow the same path, to help those in need and by doing so, bringing society together and taking one big step into further getting society involved in charity work. Conflict itself is generally viewed with negative connotation. At the very least, conflict is often seen as being something destructive and damaging both physically and psychologically, and so it should be. There is no doubt that conflict can cause devastating outcomes to an individual let alone a whole society, the key here is that this is not always the case. We have learnt from past events throughout history of the negative impact conflict can have on larger societies, but through historical events we have also seen the positive outcomes that have resulted from the suffering of conflict itself or the golden opportunities that have risen from further dealings with conflict and the matter. Sometimes it may only take one person to address the situation for a whole chain to begin, perhaps we ought to start looking at the positive things in life, and whatever conflict comes our way. It is too easy to say that a negative always equals a negative, but do we ever stop to consider the positive?