People, especially my friends, often chuckle when they think of me having a Master’s Degree in Conflict Resolution. It’s not because they think it’s a silly degree, but rather because I tend to be rather argumentative and am notorious for liking to be in the middle of conflict. The notion of me pursuing peace seems paradoxical.
My friend and mentor, Joey Cope, a lawyer and mediator, suggested to me that many conflict-oriented people are looking towards degrees like the one I got from ACU because they are tired of the conflict into which they are mired and are looking to find solutions for resolving it. He definitely had me pegged!
Why else would I spend two years, and a lot of money, pursuing such? I can promise you it wasn’t because I was bored!
Some people just love to be generators of conflict. They live for it. It’s their element. But it is, speaking from personal experience, a painful way to live.
That degree didn’t instantaneously change me. I still struggle. I still need to keep my mouth shut, instead of offering my unsolicited opinions to others on things not related to me. I get myself into trouble that way. But my recognition and admission of it, as well as my intentional movement away from such, is a sign that I’m headed in the right direction.
Want to join me?
