The Three Pillars of Fighting: Confrontation, Conflict and Physical Attack

Conflict is in our nature. It is in all of nature, anything living. We also have the natural inclination to seek out balance in everything. Equilibrium, when we experience cold we strive to warm-up. When the heat becomes unbearable we strive to cool-down. In the most desirable situation we are neither hot or cold, but just right - equilibrium of temperature of the body, mind and thus spirit.

In a conflict the balance is our of whack. One person may be demanding something from another person that person is not willing to provide. Once the level of demand irritates the other person above acceptable levels, you have conflict.

Conflict is not literally a physical assault on your person. It is not even a shouting match, you saying you are not going to accept his/her demands and him/her saying yes, you will. This can be in a computer like mode with no blaming, etc., simply making a statement but a one that is in conflict with what the other is demanding and stating.

Conflict vs. Confrontation, confrontations are sometimes merely a person expressing a conflict. It can be something expressed as irritating or something else all together.

A confrontation can escalate to conflict or be conflict and conflict can escalate into violence. The level and type of violence is determined by the confrontation/conflict as it moves up the socially accepted levels until it breaks free of its instinctual constraints on physical violence and one or the other now cross-over into a chest bump, a finger in your face tapping (or chest) and finally into the huge round house haymaker.

Conflict is messy, uncomfortable and unproductive unless one or the other recognizes the monkey dance and changes the game plan (think deescalation through GAVSD, etc.).

It is rare when this cannot be accomplished due to instant bypass of instinctual socially accepted conflict levels going straight for damage, physical damage level.