To explain the context of this series, we use the term "differences" to refer to differences in opinion, interpretation, or misunderstanding about the value of an object, the facts of a situation, the rules of the game, and so forth.
When people can't settle their "differences," they often become frustrated and angry. Things become "personal," and what was once a "difference in opinion" becomes a crashing "conflict of interest." One person now is seen as personally opposing the interests of the other (see Fig. 1). It is within this context of personal opposition that we use the word "conflict.
Figure 1: How Differences Turn into Conflicts
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The first objective of the Be Cool: Give & Take Series is to teach students how to amicably negotiate their differences before they escalate into angry conflicts; the second is to show them how to approach the more difficult task of resolving emotionally charged conflicts.