I think one of the saddest things in life is human stubborness. Narrow mindsets especially bother me, like the really really religious beliefs (no offence to anyone who is religious) that are really really extreme. It's good to stand for what you believe in, but I firmly believe that it's also healthy to step back a little every once in a while and look at the big picture from different angles. Your personal viewpoint may be right, but there might be a better one that you're missing because someone else's idea just isn't good enough for you. This applies to all opinions and beliefs, not just the religious ones. Miscommunication or the lack of it also stems from this stubborness. Say for example, if I'm really mad at my mom and decide not to return any of her calls, and one of them happen to be about my brother getting hurt, by the time I do find out it will only look like I didn't care, and the situation would only get worse from there. In the Crucible, the same thing happened, but to the point where people had to die and still didn't make that much of a difference.
It's so depressing. :( People need to learn not just to look, but to see, and not just hear, but to listen as well.