Where it begins is never actually what people believe it to be. The actual conflict has been growing silently by the time voices come and tension permeates the air. In little disputes disregarded, in words unsaid, in situations when arrogance favored quiet above understanding.
It feels abrupt when it finally arrives. Each side, certain they are correct, is unwilling to yield. Two sides looking across one another. The area evolves. Tightens the atmosphere. Every word has weight; even quiet starts to sound loud.
Not every major conflict is about what is being said. It's about everything behind it. Long-held grievances, unspoken expectations, things neglected yet never forgotten. They all arrive at once, thereby aggravating a little dispute.
There is usually a point in between of it when possibilities still exist. An opportunity to stop, listen, and pick serenity over reactivity. That instant, however, is simple to overlook. Emotions travel faster than logic; once the boundary is crossed, it is difficult to go back to where things were.