Human beings, however, do not stride from peak to peak, they climb
laboriously up the side of the mountain. The public will have to
understand each case as it comes up and force divergent interests to
find a solution. The real mountain climber never gives up until he has
reached the highest peak and the lure of the climb to this peak is
always before him to draw him on.
That should be the way in human progress--a peaceful, quiet progress.
We cannot follow this way, however, until human nature becomes less
interested in self, acquires some of the vision and persistence of the
mountain climber, and realizes that physical forces must be harnessed
and controlled by disciplined mental and spiritual forces.
When we have achieved a nation where the majority of the people is of
this type, then we can hope for some measure of success in changing our
procedure when international difficulties arise.
What we have said really means that we believe in one actual way to
peace--making a fundamental change in human nature. Over and over again
people will tell you that that is impossible. I cannot see why it
should be impossible when the record of history shows so many changes
already gone through.
Only the other day I heard it stated that there are only two real
divisions which can be made between people--the people who have good
intentions, and the people who have evil intentions. The same man
who made this distinction between people, made the suggestion that
eventually there should be in the government, a department where
business--the business that wishes to be fair and square--could lay
its plans before a chosen group of men representing business, the
public and the government. They could ask for advice as to whether
the plans proposed were according to the best business interests of
the country and the majority of the people and receive in return a
disinterested, honest opinion. Immediately the remonstrance was made
that this would be impossible because it would be difficult for an
advisory group to know if the plans laid before them were honestly
stated, and people of evil intentions could use such a group to promote
plans for selfish interests rather than for the general welfare. This
is undoubtedly true, and we are up against exactly the same situation
in trying to obtain peace between groups within nations as we are on
the international fronts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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