I was watching the CBS news the other night when John Dickerson did a piece on “ What is a Conflict Entrepreneur?”  https://youtu.be/fCrQRchkDWY?si=G24Lzq4Mu49tmUyR

Dan Harris, in his article “How to avoid a conflict entrepreneur,” defines it as “… someone who  inflames turmoil to benefit themselves.” They are individuals who “get rewarded by social media algorithms with followers and profit.” (https://www.danharris.com/p/how-to-spot-a-conflict-entrepreneur). As Mr. Harris notes, they come in all shapes and sizes: “profiteering divorce lawyers, meddling mothers-in-law, shit stirring besties. (Id.)

Citing the author Amanda Ripley and her book, High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How To Get Out, Mr. Harris notes that one good indication of a conflict entrepreneur is that the person is delighting in the suffering of others, perhaps because it assuages their own pain. (Id.) The way to deal with such folks is to identify and marginalize them. It may also be helpful to reflect on your behavior to see if, at times,  you have been a conflict entrepreneur.  (Id.)

I wondered: am I  unknowingly dealing with conflict entrepreneurs in mediations? Has one of the parties escalated the conflict solely to gain profit, power, or solely for pleasure? ( https://www.courageousri.com/conflict-entrepreneurs)

Is a party there solely to make things worse, and who finds joy in others’ misery such that the more miserable the other party feels, the better the conflict entrepreneur?

Learning about this concept has been an eye-opener and will give me much food for thought. I hope that it gives you, the reader…

… Just something to think about.

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