The Purpose of Conflict

Why is conflict important?  What is its purpose in the story?  What are the differences between the different kinds of conflict?

    Conflict is important because it makes up the events in the story. A good plot revolves around some kind of conflict, which can be in different forms; external and internal. The external conflicts are what physically stop the protagonist from getting what they want, either being a physical antagonist, an institution, or even the environment itself. These are often more surface level and aren't the most interesting part of the story, but they are necessary for the context. The internal conflict is within the character and the choices that they must make. This is typically in the form of emotions which hinder the character and make their goal difficult to reach. However, something important about this is that simply having the conflict doesn't make a story good, but rather using them to reveal a deeper meaning about life is what makes a story good.