Escalation
The use of progressively heavier contentious tactics is by no means an inevitable outcome of conflict, but it is an important one because of the great human cost it often produces. Escalation is commonly accompanied by several other transformations:
- Issues proliferate.
- Parties become increasingly committed to the struggle.
- Specific issues give way to general ones.
- The desire to succeed turns into a desire to win, which turns into a desire to hurt Other.
- Positive feelings give way to negative feelings.
- Both sides grow by recruiting formally neutral individuals and groups.
