A nice bit of violence

1004: 

Why is the human so aggressive, why is there so much violence and violation?  Perhaps because it’s the easier way.  Violence is popular because it requires so little energy, especially if the victim is very much weaker than oneself.  There’s almost no resistance when the virgin is violated or when we violate and extract the spoils of the earth or the seas.

Violence is attractive because it gets results.  It’s like getting something for nothing.  On a subtler level, it’s used in a different, less obvious form, for self-confirmation - when we make a value judgement.  It confirms that my values are better than yours.  I’ll use judgement as a pick-me-up and draw energy from feeling good about myself by making my position clear to you, or by making you feel bad about yourself.

But it’s like a sugar-rush, it doesn’t last long.  Whether I’m value-judging or bullying, raping or killing, in the end my violence eats me up.  Even when I’m justified, when I think I’m right and you’re wrong, as soon as I’m making judgements I’m indulging my destructive side.

If I want to do something good for my soul, I’ll draw energy from being non-violent and non-judgmental.  That might mean striking some sort of balance, by taking the longer way, the slower, less violent way.  So, if I don’t like what you do, my first reaction might be to tell you, to make it clear where I stand, but it’s not only about me and how I feel.  I won’t be helping you.  You won’t be inclined to change because of my disapproval of you or what you do.