It’s Easy to Hate What We Fear

 


Stormy day in more ways than one…

I got a call from one of the guys going though the PeaceWalker Evolution / Momentum Program. He had somethings on his mind and heart. Deep, heavy, important things that many of us are struggling with right now. Things that we’ve been trying to figure out since the dawn of time…

Specifically in this case, it concerns the war in Israel and Gaza… and the division it’s causing all over the world and namely here in the US.

His dilemma (which I’m sure ALL of us can relate to) is how do you deal with people who not only have views that are opposed to yours, but views that are hateful and so emotionally charged that they can’t be reasoned with.

And…

To make matters worse, what do you do when you find yourself getting angry yourself and wanting to lash out against them.

What do you do with all of that?

I Get It!

It’s easier to be the wise tranquil sage, alone on top of the mountain, rather than the PeaceWalker getting your hands dirty, down here in the trenches, handling everyday people and situations in the real world.

You notice I’m not picking sides here… Of course, I have my opinion, but it isn’t about what ‘side’ you’re taking. It’s about how do you deal with people who don’t believe the same way as you do. People who are being emotional, hateful and maybe even violent.

Obviously (hopefully), you realize that that if things get violent, you should do what you need to to be safe… Try for Most Good / Least Harm to the best of your ability, but make no mistake, protect yourself (and others), if necessary. (BTW - This doesn’t mean be the instigator of the havoc & violence.)

When it comes to less than violent encounters, resist reflecting the same hate and emotional fervor to the person / group who is initiating it. (I know… That’s HARD to do!)

If you don’t think you can interact in a healthy, balanced way, then don’t if you don’t have to. Walk away. Choose not to engage, if you do, then wait until you get yourself under control.

Pick your battles so to speak.

Think of this like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. If you are the parent, you may want to throw a tantrum too… But that won’t do anyone any good.

People in an emotional state can’t be rationalized with until they come down from that state. You won’t be able to use logic to solve an emotional problem.

So, if you or the other person(s) get so revved up emotionally about something, it’s going to be difficult to have a rational, healthy conversation, let alone make an attempt to work out the problem.

If you’re not careful, things may just get worse. Each side trying to out ‘temper tantrum’ the other (typically resulting in violence).

On and On…

This email could go on and on about this subject, but neither you nor I have the time for that, so let me just share two things to close out this discussion for now:

“You must not hate those who do wrong or harmful things; but with compassion, you must do what you can to stop them — for they are harming themselves, as well as those who suffer from their actions.”

~Dalai Lama

“In time we hate that which we often fear.”

~ William Shakespeare

A Bigger Discussion?

Yes…

We talk about this (and other topics) in MUCH greater depth in the PeaceWalker Evolution Course… However, if you’re not already in this year’s program, you missed it for now…

But, don’t despair...

You can join us on our new PeaceWalker Network!

It’s a place where you can more deeply connect to this community and get some unique training opportunities (online and Live) on how to protect yourself and those you care about better.

Why?!

Because, learning how to protect yourself (and others) is so much more than simply getting a gun or practicing some physical self defense. You’ll need more than that to keep yourself (and those you care about) safe, healthy and happy in today’s day and age.

If this resonates with you, then follow the link below to get access to our free content and community.

https://peacewalker.mn.co/share/TF38eL-uJGM8PjdO?utm_source=manual

Keep Going,

~Craig

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Uncomfortable Situation

Image
  Funny pic (and movie) about a not so funny situation… In training as in Life, it’s better to treat people with dignity and respect. However… What does that look like in the moment? Being that I’m teaching a Women’s Assault Prevention and Response Workshop this weekend - it’s probably a good time to talk about… Uncomfortable Situations Let’s talk about training at the academy for a minute… We run open co-ed classes at the local academy. What does that mean? Men and women train together, but we don’t stop there. People of different skill levels, backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, careers, religious beliefs, political affiliations, ages, injuries, pre-existing conditions, life experience, training expectations etc. etc. train together! We ALL work together! Overall, I think it’s better this way. Of course sometimes there’s static, you know, conflicts, and misunderstanding. When something happens, most of the time it’s just that, a misunderstanding… Sometimes people simply do
Read more

The Shot Heard Around the World

Image
Even though many could see where all of this division and hatred in our country was leading to, when we witness the actual violence, realty once again floods in and has a way of shattering the comfort of our complacency, if only until the next headline. Some may find all of this shocking, others may see it simply validating their own fears. Regardless, of your political views, we have to take into account what this level of violence can do not only to the former President and his family, but what does to the state of our entire Nation. Yesterday as news broke of former President Donald Trump being shot, I can’t say that I was entirely surprised. Saddened, but not surprised. Regardless of your political stance, this act of violence is a dark reminder of the dangerous consequences of a society steeped in hate and division. Our collective heartbreak should not be about politics, but about the division and hatred that fuels this erosion of our humanity. We live in a time where traditional
Read more

Cutting Through the Static

Image
  Me and the crew at Venue 3 Two after a PeaceWalker Conflict Communication Workshop Remember in the old days when you used to listen to the radio on a road trip? No, not digital or streaming. I’m talking about old school FM radio. When you’re putting some miles on and crossing state lines. The radio stations you listen to don’t broadcast far enough for your entire trip, so you have to channel surf to find new channels as you move on down the road. You continue to push the search button until you hear a song in the genre that you want so you can lock in a desirable station for a spell. Sometimes you’re listening to a song you really like but the station is fading… The static starts feint, almost imperceptible, than grows in intensity to the degree that you can no longer ignore it. If you really like the song, you try to hang on as long as you can, listening to the tune through the white noise and times it cuts out completely, hoping to hear as much of the song as you can before the sta
Read more