| A heated conflict, often within a small group or community, over an issue which may appear to outsiders to be of little lasting importance. Such conflicts, which may be sparked by relatively trivial events, tend to escalate rapidly to a level of intensity seemingly unrelated to the significance of the original issue -- alhough at the peak of the conflict few people are likely to agree on what the real issue is. Such storms usually blow themselves out fairly soon, but may leave lasting scars upon the participants. |
