Conflict is rarely about the surface issues people argue over. Beneath every dispute lies a deeper truth: in the heat of conflict, most people do not want the other side to win. This is not selfishness — it is human psychology. Human beings are wired with loss aversion: losses feel more intense than gains. In conflict, conceding feels like losing, even when the outcome is fair. Ego protection reinforces this feeling. And so, disputes often spiral into zero-sum battles where trust erodes and vulnerability feels unsafe.

Facilitative mediation has shifted from being a preferred dispute-resolution method to a legal requirement in the Gauteng Division. The Directive on mandatory mediation, further reinforced by the Brondani v Brondani judgment, makes it clear that parties may not proceed to the trial roll without first going through a structured process of dialogue.