Creative Conflict
Opposites clash everywhere we look:
- Co-founders argue in court, destroying a great business.
- Couples divorce, scarring themselves and their children.
- People are exhausted by the constant inner struggle.
This conflict is so universal it seems normal.
What does it mean to be unlike you? At the very least, it’s useless. Maybe even dangerous. Hence the denial, mockery, devaluation, and attempts to neutralize the perceived threat.
There is a temptation to frame the question like: either him (darkness) or me (light).
In local logic with a short horizon, it makes sense. If the goal is to stay exactly as you are now forever.
The hidden belief here is: “I am perfect.” In other words: “I am God: omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent.”
Of course, this is pride. “The immoderate desire for superiority,” as Thomas Aquinas said.
Human history teaches that pride is doomed to epic failure. The reason lies in the unpredictability of the world at all levels, whether cell, market, or cosmos.
The real challenge is how to survive and thrive in an environment where chaos is inescapable. The answer lies at the intersection of different, especially polar, viewpoints.
Your surplus complements my deficit and vice versa. The more eclectic our thinking and worldview, the greater the chance of breakthrough solutions. But conflict becomes more likely too. How do we avoid it?
Opposites co-create when there is a developed culture:
- Honest recognition of our strengths and especially our deficits.
- Evaluation of real problems that are bigger than you and me.
- Acknowledgment that the other’s difference is a value.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
Want to learn how to apply this approach to your business? Then the Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you.
As a business therapist, I help tech founders increase their company’s value by catalyzing the changes they’ve needed for a long time. Testimonials from some of my clients are here.
I write about creativity, freedom, and meaning.
