Interpersonal conflict, as the name suggests, are conflicts among individuals; and the lack of proper or effective communication may be the most common cause of these conflicts. These conflicts ranges from squabbles between couples on where to go for dinner to a misunderstanding between diplomats on foreign policies.
This example is based hypothetically using real personalities I encountered during my Army days. (when I was serving my national service, no prize for guessing which character I was):
Jude has always been a person who strives to do what is right, sometimes even pushing himself beyond his limits, earning him the nickname “garang soldier” (which means “fierce soldier” in malay) among his peers in the army. He is also responsible. However, he does takes offence in people who do not put in effort and wonders why some others do not share his same drive for excellence.
Tee Jay, on the other hand, thinks that serving national service is a downright waste of time. He would rather do just the amount that is required of him and focus his energy on other things like reading or exercising.
Commander E is just a total jerk who likes to bootlick his superiors, either to gain favors or to save his own skin. He employs double standards in that the standard of proficiency he expects of his men (the people he is in charge of), he did not apply to himself. Both Jude and Tee Jay do not like him at all.
One day Commander E asks of a favor from Jude, seeing that he is the most reliable man among most of his peers. The task was rather important to him and would place him in a good light with his superiors if done well, but earlier on, before the task was given to him, he had already taken the day off to spend time with his girlfriend who would be going overseas to study. Jude accepted to undertake the task, not because he really willingly wanted to help Commander E but because he was a little afraid of him and was also the kind of person who respected authority.
The task could not be done alone and Jude needed Tee Jay’s help for it. Tee Jay however, after learning what happened, found it really ridiculous that they are helping Commander E gain credits with his superiors while he is away enjoying himself with his girlfriend. Tee Jay initially wanted to do nothing at all, even considered sabotaging the project as a means of “getting back” at Commander E for the injustice they tolerated. However, on the account of Jude, who has been a good friend, he agreed to help out a little.
It was getting late and Tee Jay’s “little” was not good enough for Jude (or “well” enough for the superiors). Jude asked Tee Jay to “buck” up, albeit with a little anxiousness in his tone (there as a time limit to the task), more so that they could accomplish the task well. Tee Jay, on the other hand, took the signal wrongly, thinking that Jude was ungrateful and snapped back at Jude, questioning why he accepted the task at the first place and calling him “garang soldier” in a rather derogatory way. Jude never liked the nickname “garang soldier” and would never admit that he accept the task out of fear and scolded Tee Jay for always being so sloppy in his work. Tee Jay, however, rebutted and reminded him who they are doing this for and why they are doing the task for this person. This caused an awkward silence between the two friend because both of them dislike Commander E.
If you were a fellow platoon mate with Jude and Tee Jay, how would you reconcile both of them?
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