What is the cause of most conflicts?

[Amandistan]

In your opinion what is the root cause of human conflict?
I don't mean like religion or nationality.  I mean deeper


In my opinion it's not so much differences, it's lack of understanding. Or making no effort to understand.

For instance some don't understand what being transgender is. They use the wrong pronouns when talking about someone who is.  They don't understand nor do they want to but this can cause  the person hurt.

I think the lack of understanding and not being willing to understand is the cause of the majority of conflict.

[Bever]

Inequality.

[BlackCountryMaggiD]

Assumptions!
They create conflict! People thinking they know what a situation is when they don't!

[Shush]

People fight to protect their identity. Nationality, tribe, religion, etc. Identity so often re-enforced by history, history of past success or past suffering. Raise a flag people will rally round it for what it means to them. A nations flag, religious banner, or even a football team flag. Who they are, what they are trying to protect  /  defend. People like to belong and will fight to protect it. 

[Sheena]

I don't think there's one root cause...

[Pol]

Was going to say religion but that's apparently not allowed.
Tribalism money fundamentalists oppression ego

[Master Ray]

Intolerance of others?

Or usually, these days, money...

[Danny]

Or usually, these days, money...

Totally - if you dig deep enough pretty much every single conflict there is is caused by financial/economical reasons, all the other things posted above are just excuses used by the people/entities that pull the strings to justify their actions and get the general public (or the sections thereof they're interested in) on board. This of course doesn't mean that many of the people fighting (and especially those actually dying) don't believe in the stated causes, but the real reasons of those at the top are hardly ever those.

[Ron B]

 Greed and the need of power over others that's it in a nutshell.

[jackroadkill]

In my opinion, it's opinions.

[Shush]

I agree financial/economical reasons can be a factor in why conflicts start, but not so much why people choose to take part. For me the ultimate act of aggression is to become a suicide bomber. To hate your chosen enemy so much you will give, not just risk your life to kill them. No financial incentive for the 17 year old lad from West Yorks to turn himself into a bomb. Very sad, and just wrong.

[c]

Fear of those who are different, and ignorance that leads to fear.

It seems to be inherent in human nature; we seem to be tribal, and have natural dislike of those who are in a different "tribe". I know that's a sweeping generalisation but that is why in my opinion education is the biggest enemy of bigotry and prejudice. And probably why history is littered with groups that sought to restrict education - and they're out there today. Malala Yousufzai knows this.

[Anna Woman von NRW]

I don't think there is one over-riding cause and I'd agree with many of the reasons others have proffered. Perhaps many could be classed together as fear, others perhaps as greed.

However on an individual level an unpalatable truth is that many people need/want to feel superior to someone else. They will use any excuse to justify this to themselves be it race, religion,ginger hair, weight, social standing or those who are transgenderd. Anything that they can view as worth "less" than them provides justification and is therefore "fair game".

[ldopas]

I agree with Anna, it is too complex to reduce it to "greed" or "money".

What about "my religion is better than yours" or "I believe all Jews should be exterminated"?

[c]

I agree with Anna, it is too complex to reduce it to "greed" or "money".

What about "my religion is better than yours" or "I believe all Jews should be exterminated"?

I would say that you could reduce both of those "reasons" (excuses might be a better word) to fear of and intolerance of anyone who is different. This might be a bit simplistic but I think if you drill down through more complicated reasoning you tend to find this as a base layer.