Not too long ago I heard a developer sharing this gem of wisdom: “Resolving technical issues is much easier than those of a personal nature.”
It was quite a surprise to hear it. I don’t think it is a popular thing to say, especially not by a person with a programming background. On the other hand, it sounds like a natural thing: technical problems are rational and we can resolve them using our reasoning skills. The only question is whether you are capable to think in abstract terms to find the solution.
Personal issues, or let’s call them conflicts, are unique. They are often illogical, there are no easy patterns to resolve them and, I believe, we are not trained to deal with them.