Does conflict force us to understand one another?

The outer reflects the inner...therefore, conflict reveals what must be addressed inwardly. It is a very personal undertaking to come to know how we see "perceived" others (other individuals, other groups, other outlooks, other biases, etc.), as reflective of ourselves.

When conflict arises in our own environment or at a distance, through dedicated self-observation we can come to understand what it is within ourselves that subtly resonates with or identifies with that discomfort or judgment...and always, of course, comes from separation consciousness. Only through a willing attentiveness to discover what the ego has conditioned us to can we then peel away its lies.

There will be no one left to hate when we change our own conditioning, our own programming, our own minds.

i am Sirius

Without the conflict in most cases all parties listed and their counterparts would have been capable of remaining in complete ignorance of each other. The conflicts arose when people sensed they would have to change. I guess people would prefer the deaths and repression of millions over a few well placed thoughts that might open their eyes a little. If we could all sit around and have a rational conversation I suppose everyone would be intelligent enough to not have to add any violence (or hate anyone, for any reason, for that matter)...but well, pipe dream. For people to change their minds or grow there seems to have to be massive turmoil and bloodshed, so in this sense it's definitely the conflicts themselves that get the most amount of people to wake up and smell their own bullshit.

The scary part? I guess there hasn't been enough violence yet for many of us to understand the value of each individual life on the planet, which means they can't really value themselves, and the hate spiral continues. Also the reason so many hated and still hate most of the groups you mentioned is because an entrenched elite whose interests would be molested if that hate didn't exist will always have a huge interest in teaching that hate and magnifying any actual differences that exist.

I guess it wouldn't be so great if there was no one left to hate. If we're talking about reality anyway. That would mean none of us would be here, and I guess it all comes down to struggle and striving. I just wish that we could just realize that we only get ONE LIFE. But alas, people will only value others when they value themselves and most religion/philosophies/cultures are bent on devaluing all human life.

But in fantasy land...yeah, it would be great if we could all love and educate ourselves out of infantile hate cycles.

I always look forward to reading your quesitions they get me thinking.

I do not think conflict forces us to understand one another. Conflict seems to perpetuate seperation. I think very rarely do people look past it and see there isn't a difference.

Conflict is created through seperation. "They against me. Them and us." It seems to be a shifting wind - as it's own entity - that generates this conflict. I believe our own minds and beliefs feed this "wind" of conflict. I guess when we stop seeing the divisions there will no longer be any conflict.

It will be, but I'm not holding my breath. I think there will always be groups of people that others will hate.

Award for most religious post of the day.

No.

Conflict is always born from misunderstanding or not understanding at all.