The Prime Instigator of Conflict Is Fear

When we people feel frightened, it is often that the fright itself is the point when conflict is build. It is not wrong if we say that conflict is not only triggered by fear. There are many things that could cause a conflict, but when you think a bit further, these things are caused none other but by fear. Hatred of one person to the other is generally caused by fear that also brings up anger and envy. Fears of the uncertain future and death also provoke conflict. When people is scared of what others might do to them, they will make the first move and strike without realizing or trying to understand them first which caused a misunderstanding that will again root to conflict. A Moslem, sometimes has a false interpretation when trying to understand their religion. They were trying to fulfill their belief needs, and yet their fear of the American society leads them to terrorize U. S and so started the war between them. The same thing could be applied to the protest against the authority. In ‘The Crucible’, Abigail Williams is the one who initiate conflict in Salem, which results in the death of many innocent people who are falsely accused of witchcraft. Abigail started her lies due to save her name in the village that already blackened, and as the story goes on, to save her life as well. With the arrival of Reverend Hale, the simple matter of ‘dancing in the wood’ could no longer be put behind. Abigail has no other choice but to keep lying, a lie that was once only to save her life is now threatening the whole village and people who are initially not involved in it. She does not hesitate on telling lies, and her true motive is now colored with her fear of losing her former lover. This fear is far greater than her conscience, and eventually devours it. Reverend Paris as a minister has a fright on his own that makes him not doing his job rightfully as the enforcement of justice. For the sake of his name, his family and his occupation, he turned his back on people who need justice. The fear of losing greatly consumes his mind that he willing to sacrifice other people rather than losing his pride, similar to what Abigail does. Judge Danforth is also one who is consumed by fear and would not let go of it. He has seen it that Abigail was a fraud, but he could not admit his wrong doing by hanging those innocent people, instead he declares that John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey need to be hanged by the next day to save his name. He is terrified of what people might think and do if they knew the truth that there is no witchcraft. These personal conflict which actually happened in their own mind, become a significant global conflict that involved a lot of people when a person with authority possessed it and take action to save themselves. War and terrorism that happened between Iraq and USA is none other created by one simple thing, fear. The reason that based these extremists on 9/11 tragedy is actually the same reason that is used when US had their attack on Iraq. We first thought that it is only natural that US would come with an attack of revenge, but US knew that Iraq is not the place where the bombing on 9/11 came from. Why do people attack one another? What causes human to kill? The answer is always clear, fear. We would not kill, attack, shoot and blow up other people if we weren’t afraid of them. It is true that conflict is generated from fears. This fear devours all conscience and common sense of human that brings out the inner conflict in ourselves. Nonetheless, conflict is our everyday meal for us human. Without conflict, not to mention fear, there will be no development or revolution in human life. But, it is always good to keep our fear and sense in control not letting fear taking charge in our mind. Democracy which arose from conflict, is also originated from the fear of the false-authority or tyranny. This shows that a controlled fear could brings up social justice and goodness in people.