When values of institutions are at odd with that of individuals, conflict is encountered.

The opposite of bravery is not cowardice, but conformity. Robert Anthony

Conflict arises in many forms. It can be obvious, it can be hidden but nevertheless, conflict is
omnipresent in our lives. Conflict of large ideologies against individual thought is oppressive. Large
establishments are reliant on the foundations of the herd to build progress. In encountering conflicts,
we inevitably see a divide in our ideologies forcing us either into conforming and remaining part of
a herd fuelled by societal whims, or challenging us to fight for what we believe and rise up to crack
the very base of these ideological constructs. Conflict can oppress us and leave us to recoil, it can
blind us to true horrors at the promise of our safety or it can develop our individual character to
triumph and reap positive benefits.

Conflict can prompt an individuals core principles to be subsided in the interest of societal conformity
or safety. In Brechts play, Galileo Galilei lived through a time when the power of the church was
continually labelled as one of the most extraordinarily influential and eminent forces. Fuelled by his
desire for truth and science, Galileo believed the best interests of humanity was to promote
independent thought a predominant fear of the all-powerful authorities. He remained obsessed
with his indisputable claim of a humans capacity for reason and his assurance of an era of progress.
Galileo had begun as a man tempering with the very essence of belief, however, the omnipotent
force of the church defied his ideology and presented him with an ultimatum: recant or imminent
eternal damnation. Galileos interest and ideas are quickly clouded with personal safety. He does not
remain strong, and he flees from the inevitable conflict abandoning the visions of a bright future of
reason he had envisioned. This decision, not only reflects the basis of his character but also
demonstrates that regardless of his belief in human capacity swaying the herd into anarchy and the
unknown was where his greatest challenge lay. Galileo proved that everyone can be courageous
enough to discover truths, but it is the individuals character that allows oneself to combat torment
crumbling a structure into the dust. Thus, conflict serves as a factor that can test the strength of our
beliefs against larger forces, but if we have no strength of character we simply generate negative
results.

In a bid to satisfy our own self-interest, institutional ideology can be used negatively and leave our
foundations distrustful and unwilling to support us. Sometimes, a persons desire to satisfy their own
self-interest blinds them to such an extent they are unable to differentiate fighting for their view and
abolishing others it destroys the base of humanity that should exist. America, motivated by fear,
were quick to passively accept Joseph McCarthys claims and stamp out any threat of communism.
Whilst the Cold War threatened the world, McCarthy remained equally tormented by his diminishing
reputation challenged by Hollywood celebrities, whom had risen to fame practically overnight. In
order to regain his authority, McCarthy let his inner greed and self-interest overcome the primary
ideologies of liberty of the institution he represented: the American government. His inability to
concede fault, meant that Hollywood stars were amongst the excess group of accused communists.
McCarthy had used his own power as a senator to fuel his reputation and his greed against
celebrities. His insatiable hunger for power, proved to crack the faade of the structured American
government showcasing the fallibility for the world to see and leaving America to reassemble the
integrity of their democratic ideals. McCarthy proved that an individual is enough to crumble the
views of a society. The ulterior motive of honouring our self-interest, leaves us craving the power to
do so. Insatiable and destructive, the conflict of this ideology arises solely by the contenders seeking
to prove their fundament, and in doing so blindly corrupts a larger scale.
However, conflict brings forth a perpetual divide and leads us to question, whether we should honour
our beliefs and be prone to clashes or if we should remain safe by conforming to societal
expectation. It subjects a person to rise up amongst those who support the weight of an ideal and
prove themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Malala Yousafzai exemplified courage when she
challenged the Taliban ideals of suppression. Malala, a teenage activist worked to promote women
and educational rights in Pakistan; and yet, she was attacked for it. A bullet pierced her skull and
shattered down the base of her brain, leaving nothing but an eruption of agony and a pool of blood.
The dark force of the Taliban cloaked the land of Pakistan and actively worked to justify the death
threats against the pinnacle of new light Malala. Malalas beliefs left her isolated but that was
the price to pay for her to speak her truth. She was struck between fighting for her basic human
rights and her safety. However, this level of torture, that would shatter the very basis of any other
individuals beliefs, gave Malala the strength to break free of the expectations and protect not only
herself, but to fight for the rights of other Pakistani women. The shooting resulted in massive
outpouring of support and ultimately led her to the United Nations with the speech: I am Malala:
The girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban. The conflict allowed Malala to
prove what she stood for and expose the inconsistencies of Pakistani society which was built on the
grounds of oppression; ultimately, challenging the world to dismiss this issue as unimportant. Thus,
conflict is a factor that arises from our expectations to be one of the herd, but in choosing to defy
them we satisfy our true nature and bring positive outcomes.
We continue to be affected by conflict on a daily basis; on one hand the conflict incited by religious
beliefs of Galilean society replicates itself in modern day, through the torment of the Taliban and
on the other hand, humanitys voracious hunger to be stronger, and as a result the disparaging
effects on society. Conflict serves as the drive behind the force that allows new revelations about our
truest character; it is a significant factor that prompts us to question our need to conform to the herd
and whether our own beliefs are in accordance with the majority. . Thus facing a conflict of a large
institution leaves us to bear the weight of their ideology, or to become corrupted by the idea of
power or rarely, the opportunity to entice positive change by shaking an idea to its core. Conflict
proves that the opposite of bravery is not cowardice but conformity, if we want a positive change.