What’s so funny bout peace, love, and understanding?

When observing much of human history, one will notice that the powerful figures who have preached a message of peace, love, unity, and respect [hereafter referred to, collectively, as ‘non-violence’] seem to have had a very difficult time expressing themselves due to the dominant culture / societal persecution. There seems to be an implicit assumption that humans are naturally aggressive or violent; however, I disagree and am deeply skeptical of such divisive tropes. I think that the development of agriculture and its concomitant state apparatus brought on lots of violence as people began to hoard resources. Here is a brief list of a few leaders that come to mind:

• Mohandas Ghandi
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Tich Nhat Hanh
• Frederick Douglass [and countless other enslaved peoples and abolitionists]
• Jesus [if he existed]
• Buddha [if he existed]

Why is peace seen as a deviation? The myth of human nature as violent and repressive. I firmly believe that this notion is, indeed, a myth — albeit one of epic proportion. Of course there is plenty of historical evidence of grave acts of violence, murder, and genocide; however, this is not the natural state of humanity. Human nature is, actually, much more cooperative and peaceful. We are inherently social and literally need each other to survive. Just take a look into the archaeological record to find that anatomically modern humans and our ancestors typically lived in small bands or tribes between 10-100 individuals. These bands of individuals were usually very egalitarian and cohesive as everyone understood their purpose and contribution to the group.

Ghandi:

“Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.”

“Love is the strongest force the world possesses, and yet it is the humblest imaginable.”

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

“To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.”

Here are photos of an exhibit in the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel (Memphis, TN), honoring several leaders and champions of human/civil rights who were assassinated due to/while reaching for the stars:

Lastly, Einstein seems to have chimed in on this topic:
“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
-Albert Einstein