“For us, warriors are not what you think of as warriors. The warrior is not someone who fights…The warrior is one who sacrifices himself for the good of others.” Sitting Bull
This morning I had a discussion with my husband. It started with the shooting in Toronto on the Danforth last night. Why are youngish men dressed in black looking to kill others and themselves?
I believe we have a degree of hopelessness in our society. Some people feel it can’t get better, we are doomed, people are the problem, the world would be better without us.
Other people feel they can’t make a point without violence. Perhaps they feel ignored, snubbed, unappreciated, overlooked, depressed. Lashing out at anything makes them more powerful.
In Ask and It is Given Abraham Hicks categorizes emotions into a scale. We move up the scale from revenge to anger, from hatred/rage to revenge, from jealousy to hatred/rage, from insecurity/guilt/unworthiness to jealousy, and from fear/grief/depression/despair/powerlessness to insecurity/guilt/unworthiness. Could this be part of our problem?
The movement up the scale from depression might be fraught with danger, as being locked in powerlessness moves up to hatred/rage. How many of us had a moment in our lives when we were capable of doing something awful? Access to a gun when we are filled with hatred/rage or revenge might be the recipe for disaster. People who felt powerless in depression may feel empowered as they move up the emotional scale. Violence feels powerful. Ignore me now!
This is a dark subject. Most depressed people move up the scale without harming themselves or anyone else. In Jordan B. Peterson’s book 12 Rules For Life he doesn’t ask why bad things happen? He asks why more bad things don’t happen? Why we have peace in the world at all? Why we aren’t all at each other’s throats? Why anyone in the world can live in peace and plenty?
In Joe Rogan and Jordan B. Peterson’s podcast 1139, Joe Rogan says, “it is better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardner in a war.” This is in answer to Jordan B. Peterson’s assertion that to create security and peace, warriors must learn to sheath their swords. Passivity is not the answer. The peaceful warrior is the answer. We used to call them gentlemen. It didn’t mean they couldn’t stand up for themselves and those they loved. They could, they did, living a life of purpose and meaning and putting their families first.
We can have equality between the sexes and have men be men. My son said to me one day, “don’t equate niceness, with weakness.” Women want the kind of men that can get things done, be effective and competent. In our war on bullying we have somehow taught some of our boys that passivity is better. I believe male passivity may lead to depression, becoming the warrior and learning to sheath their sword is what we want our sons to do. The passive man and the warrior with a sheathed sword may look the same in some instances. One of them feels powerful and in control, the other feels weak and powerless.
I don’t have any answers. I have questions, and observations. We all have questions. I believe writers ask questions. We ask questions there are no answers for. We ask questions that have been asked again and again over the centuries. There are still no answers to many of the questions. We live in a society of mostly peace and plenty, of live and let live, of tit for tat. It mostly works. Perfection is enemy of the good. Why do some dogs bite? Why do some people kill?
Leave a comment. Pass it on.
The Emotional Guidance Scale
| 1. | Joy / Appreciation / Empowered / Freedom / Love |
| 2. | Passion |
| 3. | Enthusiasm/Eagerness/Happiness |
| 4. | Positive Expectation/Belief |
| 5. | Optimism |
| 6. | Hopefulness |
| 7. | Contentment |
| 8. | Boredom |
| 9. | Pessimism |
| 10. | Frustration/Irritation/Impatience |
| 11. | Overwhelment |
| 12. | Disappointment |
| 13. | Doubt |
| 14. | Worry |
| 15. | Blame |
| 16. | Discouragement |
| 17. | Anger |
| 18. | Revenge |
| 19. | Hatred/Rage |
| 20. | Jealousy |
| 21. | Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness |
| 22. | Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessness |
From the book “Ask and It is Given”, pg. 114
Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires
Jan 8, 2010
Audiobook 