an essay on pacifism
Most of the time I stay away from politics. I don't write about politics and am silent in political discussions, just listening. I do this because, most of the time, I feel unqualified to speak about politics because I am largely ignorant of "the issues", and if I know about them, do not feel that I know enough to give any sensible opinion on them. Also I'm such a pacifist and an idealist that I hold back my opinions, knowing that many people will just shoot them down right away as unrealistic.
So as a disclaimer, I am a young seventeen, quite ignorant.
But I'm going to try a bit tonight to talk about war.
I am against war. I know that some wars start in self-defense... I am not against the Allied powers preventing Hitler's Germany from accomplishing its goals, for example. But by saying that I am against war, I am saying that I am against aggression. Wars start with aggression on one or both sides, or aggression on one side and self-defense on the other. If there were no aggression, then there would be no war.
Aggression comes from greed or fear. Nations are greedy for more land, for an empire; they are greedy to assert prestige. Nations are also afraid. They are afraid of their cultures being annihilated - they are afraid of being taken over and suppressed by other nations. War also comes from fear.
Whenever I see on television, hear about, or read about war - the current war or any war in the past - I do not understand. I do not understand how, after seeing how beautiful the world is and how beautiful life is, after seeing new green leaves in spring, or the smile of a small child, or love between people --- I do not understand how, after seeing these things, someone can want to harm another. How a leader can want to harm his own people or the people of another nation.
They get away with it by generalizing and categorizing, creating "us" and "them". The government of any nation is far away from the daily life of the ordinary people of the nation, and secret. Complex.
Many may be thinking now that my views are far too simplistic, my "harm none" does not work when practically applied to world affairs. It is a simple view, very, very simple. But society and government are complex and relations between nations are complex. Aggression happens and fear happens; greed happens.
Where does greed come from, then? - this motivating factor of war? Many say it is the selfish nature of man, that people are by nature greedy, desiring more for themselves. People are greedy, but, I think, people also have within themselves the desire and ability to improve, to overcome greed. In my opinion, this desire should be cultivated.
Learning, the cultivation of ability and potential to improve, begin very, very simply --- with a child learning, from parents, from other adult figures (like teachers, aunts, grandparents). Abused children often grow up to be abusers because violent behavior was what they were taught. There is both good and bad in every person --- the important thing is which one of these is cultivated throughout life, the most important cultivation beginning very early. Someone may think that it is his right to have greed and his right to be bad if he wants, but this is how societal problems really begin.
Nothing you do affects only you; everything has ripple effects, however small they are. So it is really each person's mission to cultivate the good in himself, to make sure that it rises above and dominates over the bad. Compassion must reign over greed; kindness must overtake selfishness. If it does not, then your life can become either a waste, or a poison to those around you. The more power you have, the more responsibility and accountability to others you have to cultivate the good in yourself.
Society is often spoken of as though it were an outside entity --- people say that society imposes certain views, morals, opinions on us, and say that it is best to break away from society's domination over our thoughts. What is society, though? - It is only people. It is not an external force presiding over us - it is us. There are opinions formed through generations of prejudice that affect us every day, and it is a necessary goal to break away from these hindrances. However, society can be good because of the human desire to improve. To me, this desire is redemption.
Society is complex and government is complex and international relations are complex, aggression happens, greed happens, fear happens, and war happens. Complexity is necessary to convenience and to the modern system of nations and governments, economies and society. But my philosophy is still simple. Peace begins with each individual consciously choosing to work hard and commit to strengthening the good part of his nature --- when he actively practices compassion, kindness, unselishness, pacifism. Before the world can be improved, each individual must improve himself.
The problem is that many do not realize that this is necessary, are so set in their ways and prejudiced already against changing, or simply do not want to take the time and effort to improve. The leaders of the world do not belong to themselves, but are put on certain paths and pulled in certain directions by all those around them, by the people of their nations, by the other figures in power. And even if one leader is a good man, if he is a pacifist, then there are still other leaders who are aggressors, and who are dangerous and must be stopped. I do not know what the solution is to this.
I just believe that if each individual began to cultivate his good nature, then eventually the whole world would improve. What can we do, then? --- Just start today to diminish greed in ourselves, teach a child to cultivate his goodness, spread positivity around ourselves. That is all I have for now.
So as a disclaimer, I am a young seventeen, quite ignorant.
But I'm going to try a bit tonight to talk about war.
I am against war. I know that some wars start in self-defense... I am not against the Allied powers preventing Hitler's Germany from accomplishing its goals, for example. But by saying that I am against war, I am saying that I am against aggression. Wars start with aggression on one or both sides, or aggression on one side and self-defense on the other. If there were no aggression, then there would be no war.
Aggression comes from greed or fear. Nations are greedy for more land, for an empire; they are greedy to assert prestige. Nations are also afraid. They are afraid of their cultures being annihilated - they are afraid of being taken over and suppressed by other nations. War also comes from fear.
Whenever I see on television, hear about, or read about war - the current war or any war in the past - I do not understand. I do not understand how, after seeing how beautiful the world is and how beautiful life is, after seeing new green leaves in spring, or the smile of a small child, or love between people --- I do not understand how, after seeing these things, someone can want to harm another. How a leader can want to harm his own people or the people of another nation.
They get away with it by generalizing and categorizing, creating "us" and "them". The government of any nation is far away from the daily life of the ordinary people of the nation, and secret. Complex.
Many may be thinking now that my views are far too simplistic, my "harm none" does not work when practically applied to world affairs. It is a simple view, very, very simple. But society and government are complex and relations between nations are complex. Aggression happens and fear happens; greed happens.
Where does greed come from, then? - this motivating factor of war? Many say it is the selfish nature of man, that people are by nature greedy, desiring more for themselves. People are greedy, but, I think, people also have within themselves the desire and ability to improve, to overcome greed. In my opinion, this desire should be cultivated.
Learning, the cultivation of ability and potential to improve, begin very, very simply --- with a child learning, from parents, from other adult figures (like teachers, aunts, grandparents). Abused children often grow up to be abusers because violent behavior was what they were taught. There is both good and bad in every person --- the important thing is which one of these is cultivated throughout life, the most important cultivation beginning very early. Someone may think that it is his right to have greed and his right to be bad if he wants, but this is how societal problems really begin.
Nothing you do affects only you; everything has ripple effects, however small they are. So it is really each person's mission to cultivate the good in himself, to make sure that it rises above and dominates over the bad. Compassion must reign over greed; kindness must overtake selfishness. If it does not, then your life can become either a waste, or a poison to those around you. The more power you have, the more responsibility and accountability to others you have to cultivate the good in yourself.
Society is often spoken of as though it were an outside entity --- people say that society imposes certain views, morals, opinions on us, and say that it is best to break away from society's domination over our thoughts. What is society, though? - It is only people. It is not an external force presiding over us - it is us. There are opinions formed through generations of prejudice that affect us every day, and it is a necessary goal to break away from these hindrances. However, society can be good because of the human desire to improve. To me, this desire is redemption.
Society is complex and government is complex and international relations are complex, aggression happens, greed happens, fear happens, and war happens. Complexity is necessary to convenience and to the modern system of nations and governments, economies and society. But my philosophy is still simple. Peace begins with each individual consciously choosing to work hard and commit to strengthening the good part of his nature --- when he actively practices compassion, kindness, unselishness, pacifism. Before the world can be improved, each individual must improve himself.
The problem is that many do not realize that this is necessary, are so set in their ways and prejudiced already against changing, or simply do not want to take the time and effort to improve. The leaders of the world do not belong to themselves, but are put on certain paths and pulled in certain directions by all those around them, by the people of their nations, by the other figures in power. And even if one leader is a good man, if he is a pacifist, then there are still other leaders who are aggressors, and who are dangerous and must be stopped. I do not know what the solution is to this.
I just believe that if each individual began to cultivate his good nature, then eventually the whole world would improve. What can we do, then? --- Just start today to diminish greed in ourselves, teach a child to cultivate his goodness, spread positivity around ourselves. That is all I have for now.
posted by Laura at 4:40 PM
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