“University politics are vicious precisely because the stakes are so small”

Simplified Meaning:

When people in universities argue and fight over small matters, the conflicts become very nasty. This is because the issues at hand are usually not very important, so people might feel the need to make a bigger fuss to get their way. Think about a small office where employees argue about who gets the window seat. It’s not a big deal, but because there's not much else happening, everyone puts in a lot of effort and emotion into it. In university settings, the same thing happens. People might get very passionate and intense over small decisions like which paper gets published in a journal or who gets a small promotion. For example, a professor might start a big fight with a colleague over something minor like the layout of a department newsletter. In the end, the real lesson is to remember not to get too caught up in tiny details and to focus on what really matters in life. By doing this, conflicts can be minimized, and everyone can work together more peacefully and productively.