If I am having an "issue" with someone, and it turns ugly, can "B," the mutual friend of us both, love us both, and stay loyal to us both without having to choose sides or get stuck in our mess? The answer from my perspective is: maybe.

Refusal to compromise is widely considered to be the root cause of political polarization, business battles, and divorce wars. But refusal to compromise isn't actually the cause of these problems. It's merely a symptom. The real problem is unwillingness to tolerate uncertainty.

The next best thing to preventing conflict is having the skills to manage differences effectively. Most of us don't come into marriage with highly developed conflict-management skills, but these abilities can be cultivated through practice on the job.

All relationships have conflict. Conflicts are a part of life and can provide an opportunity for learning and growth -- if they are approached with caring for yourself and the other person.

I know it can be scary to confront and follow through on difficult conversations but there is freedom on the other side of them. Here are steps to having a tough conversation with someone.

"How do I know when I'm really in love?" "What does it mean to be in love?" "I think I'm in love, but then I have doubts." Such a big question! And we all wish there was an easy answer -- a formula we could follow to determine if we are in love.

It really does matter how we exit our relationships. If we get into unhealthy patterns of throwing people away, or cutting them off without so much as a word, we damage ourselves. And we damage other people who were simply caught being human.

Unless you are able to learn from and heal your fears, you may get stuck in this negative pattern. Love quickly vanishes in the face of this closed, protective behavior.

It seems like there is a lot of "hateration" in the air these days. All of us seem to be consumed by those pesky folks known as our "haters." This is an important topic to address because "hate" in any form is toxic to our mind, body, and souls.

Argument and debate are going to happen, even in the best of partnerships, but it doesn't have to mean doomsday or that you're not compatible. In fact, I have found some conflict can actually be a stepping stone to a more honest, intimate place and can foster better communication.

The key to managing conflict is to first and foremost recognize that we are different from other people. We each have different values, priorities, and perspectives. Everyone is not going to see the world the same way we do.