The Conflict Issue: Imaginary Fights, Real Razor Burn, and One Very Petty War

Ever started a fight in your head, won it spectacularly, only to realize the other person didn’t even show up to the battlefield? Welcome to adulthood, where conflict is less about actual shouting and more about side-eyeing someone into oblivion while whispering “I’m fine” with enough passive-aggression to wilt a cactus.In this episode, Pete and Tommy wade into the murky, tepid waters of grown-up conflict—armed only with podcast-sponsored razors, psychological aphorisms, and a deep, festering resentment for group texts. From Hanlon’s Razor (“Maybe they’re not evil, just an idiot”) to the Cold War of Thermostat Settings, they explore why modern fights are quieter, pettier, and increasingly fought through emoji avoidance and artfully delayed email replies.Tommy investigates the ancient science museum exhibit that accidentally gave him an emotional breakthrough (shoutout, Exploratorium), while Pete reveals he spent years treating a perfectly lovely human as his secret archnemesis. They tackle imaginary nemeses, real micro-aggressions, and that one Ralph’s employee who doesn’t know they’re the final boss in your personal hero’s journey.Also: the War of the Bucket. Yes, an actual war. Over an actual bucket. Two Italian city-states. Thirty thousand troops. And one wooden container that still hangs in a death-sentence room like a medieval mic drop. Because adult conflict, like medieval conflict, is never about the thing—it’s about the bucket.So guard your emotional buckets, find peace in the possibility that no one is thinking about you at all (liberating!), and if you must fight… maybe don’t do it in a podcast.Become a Feeling Friend!Help us keep the precinct weird: allthefeelings.funGet early access, bonus content, stickers, and the satisfaction of supporting emotional democracy for only $35 a year. (Or just vote Pete back into office. Either works.) ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. Visit our website to learn more.

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