Call Me a Hippie, I’m Okay With That
As long as men can snuff others' lives out at the push of a button, we, the world, are in trouble. You see, one needn't get one's hands dirty.
The sights, and sounds and smells of death are a fraction of what is played out daily on most POV video games, or in any "action" movie.
Men are emotional creatures. The most lethal species on the planet.
And let's not lose this simple truth in relation to much of what I'm reading this morning: "action" = murder + suffer x die.
Who is dying? Rarely the ones whose egos are at stake, who give the orders, push the buttons. It's the soldiers-for-hire, ordinary citizens, families, children.
Yet children belong to the world, not a nation. In war, they become mere cannon fodder and collateral damage.
To the voices calling for "action" as a euphemism for killing: Is this really the very best you can give voice to? When in doubt (and if you don't have a better solution, you're by definition in doubt), often the most insight lies in the silence between people. If you're making too much noise, you can't hear.
I don't have an answer. But another woman's children are as precious to me as my own. I have friends and clients in every nation currently involved in these conflicts. And I absolutely do not believe in "us" vs "them".
Evil exists in the world and it enters people's hearts in equal measures, regardless of race, creed, religion, wealth, gender or nationality.
Some estimates have 1/6 people in the world affected by armed conflict. "Affected". If you're not "affected" where is your heart?
The thing about love is that it's the best "action" you can take - with the best interest rate in the universe. Should the world have sung kumbaya to the dictators of the past? Of course not - please resist the temptation to be simple, dismissive, or naive.
Many (but not all) have the right, an obligation and privilege to be an "active" citizen.
I currently live in Canada, on Treaty 7 territory. For all the disingenuous (and real!) hand-wringing over conflict "elsewhere", I heard few remarking on the continued genocide during Indigenous Peoples' Day - yesterday.
We can all do better - today.
Like better adulting in business. We can better manage our grievances; find out what is truly motivating hostility and aggression. Is it driven by resource scarcity, political instability, or historical grievances? Even in the workplace.
At a personal level, it is often a screaming desire to be seen, heard, recognised, valued, and respected. Sometimes it is a dysfunctional response to trauma, and I see this played out again and again with clients who are trying to manage toxic workplaces and tyrannical bosses.
As an ordinary person, I can't pretend to understand or solve geopolitical nihilism. But I can still do better with the small influence I have over my own behavior and choices.
To all who are suffering, in whatever way - I wish you personal peace and universal justice.
Call me a hippie, I'm okay with that.
About the Author
Anna is an organizational psychologist and executive coach, with a special interest in all things technology. We’re part of the team at Garleff Coaching and Consulting Group. If this article has struck a chord, please let us know.
Anna Garleff Cell: +1 587 224 3793 / anna@garleffcoaching.com
www.garleffcoaching.com
