Perpetuation of Conflict

All that is necessary for the perpetuation of conflict is this: during and after each incident, everybody involved focuses only the insult or injury done to them—or the justification for their actions against the other—without considering the context, and while denying the possibility that they might have done anything to initiate or exacerbate the conflict. 

This comes into play in international and sectarian conflicts, within nations and parties, and interactions between authorities and citizens – even among family members.  It helps reinforce our negative perception of the ‘other’.  And, safe within our protective walls of denial, we avoid any unsettling deeper examination of the other side that might trigger our own cognitive dissonance.  

This approach works well for purveyors of guns, drugs, alcohol … and fences.