Every time a violent act is perpetrated it is a form of insanity. It is ego at its most extreme.
The disturbed ego is always choosing whether to defend or attack. Its desire is to control outcomes in the name of alleviating or suppressing its fear. The ego at its most afraid, is capable of committing extreme acts against itself or others.
This is what I see happening globally. Fear reaching such extreme levels that how it’s being acted out causes devastation beyond measure. When terrorists who identify as Muslims carry out terror attacks, it’s not the religion that’s to blame. It’s not Islam that’s the cause. It is group mentality, full of fear, using that religion to justify its actions. Individually, it is a fearful mind with highly distorted thinking, acting out those distortions.
Violent acts create a climate of fear
The decision to take that distorted thinking to its next insane level is highly logical to the illogical mind. The purpose of such violent acts are to create a climate of fear. As such, they achieve their purpose.
It’s the fear mind magnified to extreme levels, that allows one being to join forces with others in deliberate acts of terror (not terrorism, terror.) It allows them to make the decision to lay waste to their fellow human beings in blind attack.
The world has many examples of the fear mind gone mad. Carpet bombing that targets entire towns and cities in the name of bringing peace, is the distorted fear mind in action. Gunning down an unarmed individual simply because you feared for yourself, is a person lost in their fear mind.
The root of each of these actions is the same. A belief in distorted thoughts or imbalanced solutions that lead to individuals, groups, or armies acting from those thoughts.
All attack of another is self attack
This premise can seem too simplistic and seemingly kooky for most. Yet the disturbing decisions or actions of an extremely fearful mind, is simply a mirror for each mind’s distortions.
The logical conclusion of believing in disturbed thoughts, is to attack. Attack, or be attacked. For an extreme fear mind must show its might, its power, its will, in order to deter its own dissolution. This insight illustrates the collective fear mind of us all, taken to extremes.
The answer is not simply to attack, retaliate, and then be retaliated against. “An eye for an eye, leaves the whole world blind” expresses this best. The answer is to acknowledge that the distorted mind, does not know how to create peaceful, long term, solutions.
Distorted thoughts, amplified to extreme levels, creates wars, not peace. The war on terror, has radicalised more people than it has deterred terrorism. This is because the root causes of how terrorists are recruited, are being ignored.
Exploitation of fear
Extremist group leaders exploit the fears of those who feel disenfranchised or angry about how they or their country, are being treated. They tap into that anger and fear, and deliberately fan the flames. They create propaganda based on some vague truth or particular incident, and then distort that truth to create blind loyalty.
It works. That’s why it’s a formula that’s been repeated century after century. The more extreme the original distortion or propaganda, the more extreme will be the physical actions that follow.
How does any of that help those who have to suffer the consequences of such distorted thinking? Well, it’s for them to know they did not cause the violent acts against them. It is for them to know they are not to blame. It is for the rest of us to know that we must work toward sane solutions that last.
We must claim with an inner authority, a sane mind for all. It is up to us to hold the space of balanced and inspired thinking. We can lobby for better solutions than just violent acts meeting violent retribution. Then all actions taken to counter mindless violence, can come from a place of inclusivity and a desire for lasting peace.
The peaceful mind’s actions causes no harm
The peaceful mind acts, but its actions causes no harm to others. Think of Ghandi combining savvy negotiations with leaders, with fasting, as an act of protest and defiance. His focus was to quell the brutal fighting between Christians and Muslims after India gained independence.
Then there’s Nelson Mandela. He knew that claiming violent retribution for the injustices he faced, would only escalate brutal civil war. His focus was to build bridges, facilitate change, improve laws and address the concerns of his fellow countrymen.
Martin Luther King had his dream of a new world. He was powerful in his condemnation of injustice. An analysis of systemic racism was combined with powerful and inspirational oratory. He galvanized people and facilitated a movement.
These men were powerful activists. Yet their activism was grounded in sanity and the power of the right-thinking mind.
Great leaders demonstrate sane and considered thinking
There is a reason these great leaders impact on the world was so profound. They each acted from sane and considered thinking. Each took the long view. Every one of them foresaw the consequences of violence, meeting violence. Their fear mind was given no space to blossom or thrive.
As a global society we can work towards this collectively. But first we must ask ourselves: Is this something we can all come together and agree upon as a strategy? If not, then we must ask which mind is it, that is saying no?
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Yve Bowen is a passionate writer and copywriter. As a copywriter she provides engaging content and marketing copy for stressed out Sole Traders and Entrepreneurs. Find Yve at https://keeper.marketing.
