Unite & conquer? Why disagreement is natural
By Matt Lehrman
Social Prosperity Partners
From campus protests to epic rapper beefs, we all know conflict drives headlines. But it’s pointless to criticize “the mainstream media” for a reality that’s equally true in alternative media and our own social media feeds, not to mention every bestselling novel and blockbuster movie ever.
Conflict is the heart of all stories, and that’s why one of the founding principles of Social Prosperity Partners is this simple statement: Conflict isn’t only natural, it’s necessary.
When I say conflict is natural, I don’t just mean it casually, as in, “Naturally, not everyone in the family loves musical theater (or football, or
Star Trek)”. I’m talking about something more fundamental. Not just science fiction, but science.
In his 2012 bestseller The Social Conquest of Earth, biologist Edward O. Wilson compares cooperation among insects versus mammals, particularly humans. At every level from micro to macro, from the individual to the global, success is determined by the dynamic push-and-pull of competition and cooperation.
Wilson writes that an “iron rule” in evolution is that “selfish individuals beat altruistic individuals, while groups of altruists beat groups of selfish individuals.” However, he adds, “The victory can never be complete; the balance of selection pressures cannot move to either extreme. If individual selection were to dominate, societies would dissolve. If group selection were to dominate, human groups would come to resemble ant colonies.”
When I first read these words, I felt inspired because they helped me understand in a deeper way that conflict, or disagreement, is fundamental not simply as a problem to solve — though sometimes it’s that, too — but as an essential mechanism for learning and advancement.
So, conflict isn’t a hurdle to be avoided, but rather a natural and necessary occurrence that can be anticipated and channeled into a productive catalyst for growth.
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