Interpersonal conflict is in every part of our lives. Apparently, even a movie can’t go without it. It gives many movies the ground from which they can then blossom. The movie “Hitch” gives a clear example of an interpersonal conflict. The two characters of the story, Alex and Sara, get into a fight over simple miscommunication.
These two people who have only recently met make a common mistake. They don’t tell the whole story and don’t stop to listen. If only Alex had told Sara about what he does, how he does it and in which cases, she might have even liked his profession. The date doctor leaves out information about what makes him who he is. When a job is that important to you and when it takes that much of your attention, you must tell the whole story to a person you want to be close with. Moreover, Alex is sure to understand that the time of work he does can be easily misunderstood by others and thought as something negative. It is only in the end of the movie that Alex himself realized just what kind of help he had been giving his “clients”. The best way to avoid this side of the conflict was to think about it from the start, to “identify the ways in which we contribute to disagreement” (Bellafiore, 2011). Had Alex thought about the possible problems and conflict that can arise from him bending the truth, he might have easily avoided the biggest conflict of the movie.
Sara, on the other side, also made some mistakes. Apart from the fact that she cannot and will not separate work from her personal life, it goes deeper than that. Once she already went on a date with Alex, she must have understood that knows him much better than any stranger. Moreover, especially after all that happened on their first date, she has Alex’s trust and understanding. However, regardless of all this, she decides to take her friend by surprise and bring her boss into the picture. Introducing a third party is not what was needed here. Late on, she also gives way to emotions. She only waits to hear one side of the story, not even giving Alex a chance to explain. Sara ends up trusting some random guy rather than the guy she has been having a good time with lately.
The conflict between Alex and Sara is based on miscommunication. Alex doesn’t give Sara the whole truth and Sara doesn’t wait to hear it either. All of this could have been easily avoided. Moreover, it would have made them closer. By explaining his job, Alex might have even gained more respect from Sara and made her even more curious about him. Sara could have easily come to an understanding with Alex in regards to her gossip column and they could have reached a simple agreement.
Nevertheless, this movie does have a happy ending. This once again shows to prove that any conflict can be solved. There are ways to avoid them of course, but once it occurs, it is important to remember that everything is not lost and there is still a chance to mend the relationship. After all, surviving a conflict can even make it stronger.
References
1. Charles Hauss. Interpersonal conflict and violence. Retrieved from http://www.beyondintractability.org/bi-essay/interpersonal-violence
2. Donna Bellafiore. Interpersonal conflict and effective communication. Retrieved from http://www.drbalternatives.com/articles/cc2.html
