Three Modes of Conflict

It is possible to distinguish three levels of conflict. One level can be exemplified by a “fight,” i.e., a combat motivated only by mutual animosity or mutual fear. In a fight, the opponent is just a noxious stimulus. The actions of the combatants are dominated by an urge to destroy or to drive away this noxious stimulus. The~aggressive acts of each of the opponents stimulate aggressive counter acts of the other. This process, then, is mostly self-perpetuating and automatic. Such are the combats one finds in the sub-human world, combats between enemy species, between rivals for a mate, between competitors for food or living space.