> As long as the peripheral conflicts don’t get too egregious
From a scar model perspective this is like a papercut/superficial injury which isn’t leaving you with a scar (or at least a very minor one).
> they don’t actually matter if the core stuff is still working.
Being stabbed in the heart (literally and metaphorically) will leave bigger and deeper scars that can impair core function and your heart will never pump blood as effectively again.