by Douglas Robinson…
What does it take for us to have peace? – What price peace? It takes involvement in internet peace organizations like 10 Million Clicks For Peace and iPeace. It takes supporting traditional organizations like Oxfam and Save the Children. It takes supporting the United Nations and UNICEF. It takes electing representatives who support dialogue over conflict. It takes helping to resolve local community disputes. First of all though, it takes addressing and working to resolve inner conflict and then misunderstanding between ourselves and others.
I have been struck recently by the latent aggression in our accepted conversational patterns. Have you noticed how little we really listen to each other or even pay attention to written communications like emails? Have you ever wondered how someone could ask a particular question after supposedly reading an email you sent? Have you ever felt others were cutting so often into what you were trying to say that you finally gave up in frustration? Have you interrupted someone without noticing and then thought about it later?
These are all forms of latent aggression, and we can only achieve world peace when we learn to become aware and then control these interactions on a personal level. It would seem that Cable News outlets and recent town hall interchanges could be influencing us in the opposite direction. But, perhaps such things help to make us more aware of how hostile we can sometimes be towards each other, usually when we are not aware.
For peace to happen we must restrict competitive aggression to games and healthy rivalry. When aggression becomes destructive to another or when its effect is to overwhelm rather than to energize, then we initiate energies that spawn interpersonal, family, community, national and eventually global conflict. Peace and understanding go together. We cannot harm each other when we understand and value each other, only when we are unaware or when we devalue each other.
Love, Honor and Blessings to all! = Mamaste!
About the Author:
In addition to writing, Douglas Robinson serves as vision rehabilitation counselor in Great Falls Montana. He and his partner Ruth produce a newsletter entitled “Conscious Awakenings” which you can find at: http://community.icontact.com/p/consciousawakenings Find Doug’s writing at: http://dbrsinger.blogspot.com and at: http://dbrsinger.wordpress.com. Something about these titles may lead you to believe that Douglas Robinson is also a singer. Indeed, he sang professionally as an opera, concert and recital singer for twenty years before devoting himself exclusively to writing and counseling.
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