I can almost count on the fingers of one hand the people whom I think
are real pacifists. By that I mean, the people who are really making
an effort in their personal lives to bring about an atmosphere which
will be conducive to a solution of all our difficulties in a peaceful
manner.
The first step towards achieving this end is self-discipline and
self-control. The second is a certain amount of imagination which
will enable us to understand situations in which other people find
themselves. We may learn to be less indignant at any slight or seeming
slight, and we may try to find some way by which to remove the cause of
the troubles which arise between individuals, if we become disciplined
and cultivate our imaginative faculties. Once we achieve a technique
by which we control our own emotions, we certainly will be better able
to teach young people how to get on together. They may then find some
saner way of settling questions under dispute than by merely punching
each other’s noses!
When we once control ourselves and submit personal differences to
constituted authorities for settlement, we can say that we have a will
to peace between individuals. Before we come to the question of what
may be the technique between nations, however, we must go a step
farther and set our national house in order. On every hand we see
today miniature wars going on between conflicting interests. As the
example most constantly before us, take capital and labor. If their
difficulties are settled by arbitration and no blood is shed, we can
feel we have made real strides towards approaching our international
problems. We are not prepared to do this, however, when two factions
in a group having the same basic interests cannot come to an agreement
between themselves. Their ability to obtain what they desire is greatly
weakened until they can reach an understanding and work as a unit.
The basis of this understanding should not be hard to reach if the
different personalities involved could forget themselves as individuals
and think only of the objectives in view, and of the best way to obtain
them.
Granted that they are able to do this, then we can approach our second
problem with the knowledge that more deeply conflicting interests are
at stake but that those with common interests can state their case so
the public may form their opinion. Here again, if you could take it
for granted that on both sides a real desire existed amongst those
representing divergent interests to consider unselfishly ultimate goals
and benefits for the majority, rather than any individual gain or loss,
it would undoubtedly be possible to reach a peaceful agreement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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