Summary

The article discusses the inherent potential for violence in all humans, despite our self-perception of being peaceful, and suggests that true peacefulness can only be achieved through a profound change in behavior and philosophy aligned with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Abstract

The article "Are You Peaceful Or Violent?" delves into the complex nature of human behavior, challenging the notion that individuals can be inherently peaceful. It references the work of Carl Jung, highlighting the predisposition to insanity and the transformation of psychological types into aggressive individuals due to life's challenges. Similarly, Konrad Lorenz's research on inherited animal behavior programs is cited to draw parallels with human tendencies towards violence. The article argues that humans, like animals, possess instincts that can lead to aggressive actions without rational thought. It also criticizes societal norms that perpetuate violence, such as the support for armed forces and the acceptance of animal slaughter for consumption. The piece suggests that only through a radical shift towards the teachings of Jesus, emphasizing love for God and neighbor, can humanity hope to overcome its violent nature. However, it acknowledges the difficulty of this transformation, given the current state of the world where cruelty and indifference prevail, and true adherence to religious principles of peace is rare.

Opinions

The article posits that all humans have an inherent tendency towards violence, which is often overlooked or justified.
It suggests that societal structures, such as the existence of armed forces, tacitly support violence as an inevitable part of life.
The piece implies that people are deluded if they consider themselves peaceful without examining their behavior under stress or in private.
It criticizes the consumption of animals as a form of violence that is normalized and overlooked in society.
The article emphasizes that true peacefulness requires a profound personal transformation, aligning with the teachings of Jesus Christ, which is seen as a utopian ideal given current human behavior.
It reflects on the seemingly futile efforts of Jesus to teach humanity peacefulness, given His eventual betrayal and murder.
The article concludes that most people superficially pretend to be peaceful while harboring greed and indifference, contributing to the perpetuation of evil in the world.

Are You Peaceful Or Violent?

Analyzing The Human Behavior

Two friends were in front of the newsstand reading the headlines and talking about the ills of the world. At certain point one of them concluded: “If everyone were like us, no one would be violent.”

The other smiled in agreement, but they were both sadly mistaken. If you think like them you may believe that you are a peaceful person, but this opinion doesn’t take into account several factors.

First of all, you already inherited a strong tendency to insanity from birth, as was discovered by the psychiatrist and psychologist Carl Jung when he analyzed the behavior and the speech of those who suffered from serious mental health problems, what he confirmed by writing a detailed description of the various psychological types that characterize our population.

All psychological types are absurd and often become neurotic over time as they face existential problems, disappointments, and traumas. Their neuroses transform them into aggressive, cruel, and indifferent individuals.

This means that everyone is violent in certain situations, even if they remain calm at other times.

On the other hand, the zoologist, ethologist and ornithologist Konrad Lorenz discovered that all animals inherit pre-established behavioral programs that ensure their survival in a hostile environment where they have several natural enemies, even before they have time to learn how to defend their lives or hunt their prey.

Human beings also inherit the same behavioral programs, and act based on them automatically whenever they face danger.

This means that we are as violent as all carnivorous animals and we act without thinking in various situations. Our wild instincts kick in without any logical judgment.

Furthermore, we are easily controlled by negative emotions and deceived by false impressions that generate violent reactions without any reason.

We may seem to be peaceful in our social environment when we are not offended and we are able to be patient and show understanding. However, when we are not observed by those we fear and we face unpleasant situations, we get irritated and angry.

Many other factors denounce our tendency to violence, although we don’t pay attention to this fact.

For example, we think that all countries need armed forces, without realizing that this way we support violence, since we believe that wars are inevitable evils.

Furthermore, we agree with the violent murder of several animals that we eat with indifference, without understanding that we could be vegetarians and give to these animals the chance to live in peace.

We don’t perceive how violent we are because we justify our behavior with subjective criteria.

Only if someday we will completely change our behavior and our philosophy of life until we attain the holiness preached by Jesus Christ, will we really be peaceful.

When Jesus was asked about the most important commandment, He said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Then He added, “The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these” (Mark 12:30–31)

There is no doubt that this solution can help humanity definitively eliminate terror and violence.

However, it looks like a utopia. It doesn’t seem to be a viable solution for selfish creatures like us.

Didn’t Jesus know that we are cruel and indifferent?

Why did He work so hard to teach us how to attain holiness if He had already foreseen that He would be betrayed and murdered?

The meaning of His sacrifice still is a great mystery.

In a world where crimes are part of the routine and the misery of the poor is despised by those who belong to another social class, goodness is of no importance at all. Nobody here takes religion seriously.

The bitter truth is that everyone merely pretends to be peaceful and diplomatic like the two friends in front of the newsstand, but is in fact greedy, violent, and indifferent to evil.