At the base of virtually all dissension is perceived unfairness. This is especially true in universal human interactions involving communication. Even the most innocent sounding words can come across as unacceptably, even grossly, unfair. Let us say that one person asked another – "Can I have a new plate?' The other person responds, "Is there a problem with the one that you have?" Whereupon the person asking for a new plate explodes – "Oh forget it!" Now the person who was asked for the new plate feels that he has been grossly misjudged and mistreated – as if he had been countering with an insulting personal put-down rather than an objective question. This can quickly lead to internecine combat in which every question or comment is suspect and mistrusted. Such acute wariness compounds dissension and can load each and every remark with explosives while real and perceived unfairness escalates all around. It is extremely difficult to retrench from such warfare for all remarks are taken cynically– any peace pipes proffered are assumed to contain dynamite.
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