So here recently, I had my seventh graders write some science fiction short stories. One of my students wrote about a planet where there was no such thing as conflict in general (until of course we humans showed up and started bickering and complaining.) I talked with her about it, intrigued by her whole premise.
She asked me "what causes us to complain and fight so much anyway?" I told her I really didn't have a good answer...
So what do you all think? Why do we feel the need to do this so often? I have some good thinkers in my class!

its in our nature! humans have been fighting for as long as history can go back. An humans will always speak their mind so when someone is up set, or hot, cold, sick, ill or whatever they will let you know. I think its our way of reaching out for help even if we think we really don't want/need it.

Tell them wait til they get older & have some life experiences & become miserable

it is stress and the way we forget how to laugh and that we take our own life to seriously....

it is because we get married, and our partner teaches us how to biotch and complain

I would imagine it is based in biology to some degree. Our primate nature. We tend to be very aggressive, territorial but also possess an enormous capacity to love and take care of one another. The ability to comprise emotional extremes has been both beneficial and detrimental.

Human; the quickest way to create hate, distaste, and bloodshed in the course of 100 years. We are no better than animals, not by a longshot are we even close...we just think we are.

We are inherently selfish. Some people work against it and can over ride it. But underneath it all, we are selfish.

But I suppose you could look at is as a survival mechanism.

My daughter surprised the heck out of me when she was 9 and wrote a resume on why she should be able to join the circus.
We lose a lot of that imagination as adults.

One of the biggest things that ever stuck in my head from the bible is in proverbs. It says a nagging woman is like the drip of water. I try not to be that way.

Lack of orangutang sex does it for me......

Freedom of choice, free will, human individualism. All cause for conflict and disagreements. What should be addressed isn't how to avoid these. What should be addressed is how to handle and deal with conflict in a productive non-violent fashion.

As long as we have differences, which thank God we do otherwise life would be rather boring, there will be conflict. I think conflict resolution would be a wonderful middle school required class. If we're going to really prepare them for the real world than knowing how to handle a disagreement effectively while avoiding counter-productive conflict would be a great place to start.

I taught an actual class on conflict resolution, resolving differences, etc. for a time working with those that were in danger of dropping out of school or those that had just gotten out of prison type situations. I think all students could use it, though. That's for sure.

Wow! Sounds like a bright kid!

I thin we b!tch and moan so much in search of compassion from someone to make us feel better.

I think a lot of it has to do with too many worrying about being at the top of the ladder in life so to speak. Without a thought of who they may step over or push out of the way. Always trying to out do the next person.

So many times just a little compassion will go a long way. But ...to many have the attitude this is me if you don't like it then there is the door. They don't even try to understand what anyone else is saying for it is always their way or no way. Some believe within their hearts they are being so called "Real" Reality of it is they don't care about anyone but themselves and could care less who they hurt or step on along the way.

Maybe if we all took a better look at ourselves and learned how to enjoy what we have instead of always wanting what we don't have. Only if we could all see through a child's eye's again and see all the wonders that life has to hold. Instead of looking through blinders and only seeing what we choose to this world would be a kinder world in the long run.