Conflict Is Interest

No matter what anyone says, no matter how they may deny it, we the people, love DRAMA. We want the tea, and more than anything, to see it spilled, so our greedy, meddling eyes can witness messy aftermaths and often chaotic resolutions.

I speak strictly in regards to fiction, (though it might be true in general) but readers just can't get enough mental anguish and moe. Physical combat. Relationship issues. Environmental hazards and political intrigue.

There are many reasons for this, and no one should be ashamed of it. Afterall, the crux of character building lies in conflict. Even in a Japanese story structure like Kishotenketsu (cool thing to read about if you don't know about it!) where conflict is not integral to the structure, we still see characters clashing with one thing or another.

I believe the reason we thrive on reading about conflict (and it's resolution) is because it resonates with the deepest parts of us. Life can be very heavy. Tragedies and dangers abound constantly, and it's easy to become wrapped up in them, even when things are going relatively well for us.

Because of this, I think our desire to see conflict worked through is deeper than just a desire to be entertained. Sure, we all love a good torrid romance, a villain being brought down or raised to power, or a 'human vs nature' scenario, but why do we love them so much?

Because we find inspiration in them. We find hope. At times, we find warnings. We may very well find advice, or even something that leads us to think about things in a different way.

We find humanity. In its rawest form.

Like the characters in a novel, I think we are all capable of far more than we often believe ourselves to be. Witnessing conflict, and the subsequent conclusion, even if it isn't always positive from our perspective, can help us grow, often from a place that's protected from the weight of immediate reality.

I can completely understand why some people feel that fiction has no place in their lives, and I can respect that. It may all be 'made up' but the experiences and ideas that prompt a writer to pen them are very real. As I see it, fiction, and the unavoidable conflict that follows in the story, is just another way for us to relate to one another naturally. And moreso:

The conflict that rises between us (or within ourselves) always presents an opportunity, regardless of how formidable it is. We never really know what we're capable of resolving until we decide to roll up our sleeves and face that conflict head on.