The Importance of Compromise and Compassion

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Importance of Compromise and Compassion
All relationships run into fights and disagreements. In almost equal cases, some of the relationships break while others have the bond between the partners become even stronger than before. The end results from a fight or a disagreement are based on how well the partners in the relationship handle the whole disagreement process. In all cases, one factor that all the partners who have gone through fights agree that the key to solving relationship conflicts is both parties compromising by sacrificing something so that they can both arrive at a decision that does not please any of them (Halperin, Smadar, and Amit 3). Compromising, therefore, is a means by which people seek an expedient and mutual solution that has the same amount of impact on all the parties involves. As a result, compromise is a key element in conflict resolution as it quickens the settlement process, prevents both parties from losing their integrity and feeling humiliated, and acts to get past deadlocks in relationships.
Conflicts between partners tend to drag along for days, weeks and even years if both parties are reluctant to loosen up their sleeves. Eilerman advice that conflict resolution requires both parties to have the heart and the mindset to let go their grips on their opinions and rather consider the importance of reaching a resolution than going for days without making peace with each other. Solving conflicts by use of the compromise technique gets the issues between partners easily and quickly solved (Halperin, Smadar, and Amit 8).

Dragging along issues for days and weeks tends to weaken the bond between couples and can result in both or either of the parties seeking a break up instead of solving the problem. Therefore, it is important that both parties understand the need to have the issue solve as quickly as possible and move forward. However, in the process of getting the issues solved quickly by both parties compromising their stands, it is important they get through all the issues before calling it a day.
Moreover, the fact that after compromise both parties walk away with an equal share of win and lose, they all save themselves the path to humiliation or losing their integrity. Wallensteen (6) states that in each professional environment, compromising when conflict arises ensures that the parties involve maintaining their friendly and professional relationship hence they can still work efficiently when teams. The same case applies to couples as compromising during a dispute leads to increase in trust and bond as none of the couples acts all controlling and dictating. As a result, compromise removes a case of resentments occurring which can then undermine the future of the relationship.
In some case, both parties in a relationship tend to have strong points or point of view that make it difficult to have a clear-cut who is wrong and who is right. As a result, Wallensteen (11) states that the process of resolving the conflict might never bore any fruits and both parties might persist with their opinions. Such scenario requires a different approach so that a solution can be arrived at in the end. Joseph explains that both parties must consider giving in to the other point of view so that they can both have an agreement. The main factor determining the success in breaking such deadlocks is making both sides to feel that they are compromising in an equal share.
A practical example of a conflict is between a woman who lost her job and ended up staying home to take care of the kids and a working husband who has been left to tend to all the financial needs of the family. Since the woman was not used to doing family chores all day, she finds it overwhelming and blames her husband for not giving a hand. The man, on the other hand, finds that his earning are not enough and hence has to seek an additional job to meet all the financial needs of the family. In the process, he feels that the wife is not contributing to the marriage. In this case, to solve the conflict both parties must consider the fact that the change in their lifestyle brought about by the woman losing her job has made both extra busy. The woman must compromise to continue with her home chores while the man works while the man must compromise and continue working hard to provide for the family until the situation improves.
My parents went through a similar case after my mother lost her job as a nurse during the retrenchment at the private hospital she used to work. As a result, her share of funds that she used to contribute, mostly getting us, clothes and food were no longer there, and my father had to step in. Having been used to funding only the bills, my father felt the pressure to cater for other extra things in the house and later, his salary was not enough. He later sorts an extra job as an IT consultant and the result was him being extremely tired in the evenings, too much to help my mother with the house chores. The two later started conflicts both claiming to be doing more than usual. It was after they both compromised that they found peace with each other and before my mother got another job, the rest of her housewife days were calmer.
In conclusion, to succeed in solving conflicts in a relationship quickly and without any parties feeling undermined, it is necessary for both parties to exercise an equal measure of compromise. Compromising during conflict resolution allows both parties to arrive quickly at a settlement, prevent any of the parties feeling humiliated and plays a significant role in solving issues that appear impossible to solve.

Works Cited
Eilerman, Dale. “Agree to Disagree – The Use of Compromise in Conflict Management.” Mediate.com – Find Mediators – World’s Leading Mediation Information Site, www.mediate.com/articles/eilermanD7.cfm.
Halperin, Eran, Smadar Cohen-Chen, and Amit Goldenberg. “Indirect emotion regulation in intractable conflicts: A new approach to conflict resolution.” European Review of Social Psychology 25.1 (2014): 1-31.
Joseph, Chris. “Strengths of Compromise as a Conflict Resolution.” Chron.com, smallbusiness.chron.com/strengths-compromise-conflict-resolution-10502.html.
Wallensteen, Peter. Understanding conflict resolution. Sage, (2015): 2-18.