--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have to see conflict as thinking and…" description: "\"We have to see conflict as thinking and then get really good at it.\" — Margaret Heffernan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/510/margaret-heffernan-6923_conflict_we-have-to-see-conflict-as-thinking-and_1893187.jpg" --- # We have to see conflict as thinking and then get really… ![“We have to see conflict as thinking and then get really good at it.” quote by Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/510/margaret-heffernan-6923_conflict_we-have-to-see-conflict-as-thinking-and_1893187.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/510/margaret-heffernan-6923_conflict_we-have-to-see-conflict-as-thinking-and_1893187.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/510/margaret-heffernan-6923_conflict_we-have-to-see-conflict-as-thinking-and_1893187.jpg) > “We have to see conflict as thinking and then get really good at it.” [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Viewing conflict as a mental exercise and mastering it improves decision‑making. **In simple terms:** Treat conflict like a skill to practice. Key Takeaway Practice conflict resolution deliberately. Themes conflict management learning growth mindset Mood reflective motivational Type insightful strategic When to use this quote - team meetings - negotiations - crisis response - personal development - leadership training Key Concepts cognitive reframing strategic thinking Questions to Reflect On - What techniques help you stay constructive during conflict? - How can you turn disagreement into collaboration? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on conflict may strain relationships if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [If we aren't going to be afraid of conflict, we have to see it as thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/if-we-aren-t-going-to-be-afraid-of-conflict-we-have-to-see-it-as/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [Where wisdom reigns, there is no conflict between thinking and feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/where-wisdom-reigns-there-is-no-conflict-between-thinking-and-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To me, the thing that sets us apart from so many other animal species is our ability to ask questions, investigate, gather information, come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karyn-kusama/to-me-the-thing-that-sets-us-apart-from-so-many-other-animal-species/) [Karyn Kusama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karyn-kusama/) > [Baby If you catch yourself thinking about me, smile because I'm already thinking about you.Just thinking about you brings a smile to face and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-martinez/baby-if-you-catch-yourself-thinking-about-me-smile-because-i-m/) [Rafael Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-martinez/) > [Thinking can really be the enemy of action, and thinking can be the enemy of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-mann/thinking-can-really-be-the-enemy-of-action-and-thinking-can-be-the/) [Merlin Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-mann/) > [Have you ever liked someone so much you can't stop going to their Facebook page, reading their wall posts, or looking at their pictures?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilio-vasquez/have-you-ever-liked-someone-so-much-you-can-t-stop-going-to-their/) [Emilio Vasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilio-vasquez/) > [I think you are the finest human I have ever met, I cannot stop thinking about you!I really like you a lot than normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-lekau/i-think-you-are-the-finest-human-i-have-ever-met-i-cannot-stop/) [Gao Lekau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-lekau/) > [Some ways of using our thinking are really inspiring. There are people who use their thinking to race cars. People use their thinking to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nesmith/some-ways-of-using-our-thinking-are-really-inspiring-there-are-people/) [Michael Nesmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nesmith/) > [“And when it comes down to it, you realize that no one is really capable of thinking of anyone else, even in the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/and-when-it-comes-down-to-it-you-realize-that-no-one-is-really/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I was thinking about all these things and more, but I wasn't really thinking about them at all. 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I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorja-smith/so-many-people-can-tell-me-you-re-amazing-rather-but-i-don-t-think-it/) [Jorja Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorja-smith/) > [“Always thinking about you and I but, really your think about you and her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vargas/always-thinking-about-you-and-i-but-really-your-think-about-you-and/) Rachel vargas > [One day I am so happy to have great friends and the next I start thinking about how much they really do not understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-day-i-am-so-happy-to-have-great-friends-and-the-next-i-start/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Margaret Heffernan > [Companies are bought for their revenue, customer base, technology, or people. A few great companies offer all of these, but any valuable business offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/companies-are-bought-for-their-revenue-customer-base-technology-or/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [The biggest catastrophes that we've witnessed rarely come from information that is secret or hidden. It comes from information that is freely available and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/the-biggest-catastrophes-that-we-ve-witnessed-rarely-come-from/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [I haven't always hated McDonald's. When my kids were little and I lived in the U.S., they were as susceptible as anyone to Happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/i-haven-t-always-hated-mcdonald-s-when-my-kids-were-little-and-i/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [I hate people walking down the street listening to the soundtrack of their lives which responds to them but not their setting. I hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/i-hate-people-walking-down-the-street-listening-to-the-soundtrack-of/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [The vast literature concerning whistleblowers shows that, far from weird extremists, they are really quite ordinary people: male and female, young and old, junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/the-vast-literature-concerning-whistleblowers-shows-that-far-from/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [“Indeed, there seems to be some evidence not only that all love is based on illusion — but that love positively requires illusion in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/indeed-there-seems-to-be-some-evidence-not-only-that-all-love-is/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [Clearing your head of distractions in order to notice and understand the people you are with can feel inefficient - there are so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/clearing-your-head-of-distractions-in-order-to-notice-and-understand/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [We treasure what we can measure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/we-treasure-what-we-can-measure/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [I don't mind if the couple next to me is tense or the kids are whiny. I'd even be happy to hear an honest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/i-don-t-mind-if-the-couple-next-to-me-is-tense-or-the-kids-are-whiny/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [British innovation in design, in the creative arts, in engineering and manufacturing is world class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/british-innovation-in-design-in-the-creative-arts-in-engineering-and/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [Huge open source organizations like Red Hat and Mozilla manage the collaboration of hundreds of people who don't know one another and have spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/huge-open-source-organizations-like-red-hat-and-mozilla-manage-the/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [Words are how people think. When you misuse words, you diminish your ability to think clearly and truthfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/words-are-how-people-think-when-you-misuse-words-you-diminish-your/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [“Humans do not have enough mental capacity to do all the things that we think we can do. As attentional load increases, attentional capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/humans-do-not-have-enough-mental-capacity-to-do-all-the-things-that/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [“Those who consistently attempt multitasking find it harder to ignore irrelevant information and take longer moving between tasks—in other words, for all their frantic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/those-who-consistently-attempt-multitasking-find-it-harder-to-ignore/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [The healthiest companies are always characterized by organic talent development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/the-healthiest-companies-are-always-characterized-by-organic-talent/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) [Explore all 96 Margaret Heffernan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) ## More Conflict quotes > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [There is a conflict in the Middle East between two entities, and they're both right, each in their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/there-is-a-conflict-in-the-middle-east-between-two-entities-and-they/) [Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/) > [Conflict isn't negative, it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-crum/conflict-isn-t-negative-it-just-is/) [Thomas Crum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-crum/) > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) > [The irrepressible conflict propounded by abolitionism has produced now its legitimate fruits - disunion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-irrepressible-conflict-propounded-by-abolitionism-has-produced/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [“While there is battle and hatred men have eyes for nothing save the fact that the enemy is the cause of all the troubles;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-butterfield/while-there-is-battle-and-hatred-men-have-eyes-for-nothing-save-the/) [Herbert Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-butterfield/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [All men have an instinct for conflict: at least, all healthy men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/all-men-have-an-instinct-for-conflict-at-least-all-healthy-men/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [I didnt like the Survivor shows because of the mean-spirited aspect, and women certainly were part of whatever conflict they would create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-didnt-like-the-survivor-shows-because-of-the-mean-spirited-aspect/) [Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/) > [“How we traverse the space between us when conflict arises has a profound effect on the health and longevity of our relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/how-we-traverse-the-space-between-us-when-conflict-arises-has-a/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) [Browse all 3,969 Conflict quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have to see conflict as thinking and then get really good at it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Margaret Heffernan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/we-have-to-see-conflict-as-thinking-and-then-get-really-good-at-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conflict" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/we-have-to-see-conflict-as-thinking-and-then-get-really-good-at-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/510/margaret-heffernan-6923_conflict_we-have-to-see-conflict-as-thinking-and_1893187.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/510/margaret-heffernan-6923_conflict_we-have-to-see-conflict-as-thinking-and_1893187.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/510/margaret-heffernan-6923_conflict_we-have-to-see-conflict-as-thinking-and_1893187.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have to see conflict as thinking and then get really good at it.” — Margaret Heffernan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Margaret Heffernan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have to see conflict as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/we-have-to-see-conflict-as-thinking-and-then-get-really-good-at-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/we-have-to-see-conflict-as-thinking-and-then-get-really-good-at-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```