Costs of Infighting

The costs of infighting are wide-ranging, and they include:

• Recidivism (advocates abandoning their cause)

• Reduced productivity among teams and organizations 

• Burnout

• Demoralization, despair, and lowered motivation among advocates 

• Depression

• Anxiety 

• Increased levels of secondary traumatic stress and dysregulation 

• Counterproductive advocacy, expressed through “toxic communication,” that turns people off to the cause 

• Stress-induced psychological and physical problems, such as insomnia, depression, and anxiety

• Massive financial losses to organizations and movements