Hello fraidykat: Thanks for bringing up this interesting subject. I think most people are just trying to get along as best they can without ruffling feathers, as we like to say. So if there's someone who is difficult to get along with, most people avoid the person when they can & try to accommodate, or make allowances for, the person when the person can't be avoided. And, of course, with family members, people just put up with whatever a difficult family member dishes out just to "keep peace in the family."

There certainly do seem to be people who just thrive on conflict. But I think most of us just want to go along without getting into argument & discord. Personally, I have reached a point in my life where I just no longer have any interest in dealing with other people's issues. From my perspective, there is nothing to be gained from it. All it does is to cause my anxiety level to soar. And it rarely, if ever, ends up making any difference. As such, I live life very much as what I like to term an "urban hermit". Yes, I live in a large metropolitan area, and I do go out as needed. But I neither want nor have friends, I avoid crowds at all costs, & I don't get involved in other people's issues.