Look at today's news headers, watch the tv, have a conversation, and observe and discuss today's society. Wars, disasters, rebellions, genocide, hate crimes....surely we are living in a fallen world. Surely violence is at an all time high. Surely man's morals have reached an all time low. Surely? EHHHHHH wrong, think again. After reading Leon Neyfahk's article "The Decline of Violence", I feel confident saying that on the matter concerning man's natural incline to violence, insight has truly trumped instinct. With all the talk of wars and death (you know, the news the media just loves to fill us with), it's easy to just assume that today's society is by far the most violent, gruesome, and tragic yet. If you ever believed that, I'm no better; I was in the same boat. This article opened my eyes. Men have not been on the downward slope, men have not regressed on the moral scale, but instead, men have made leaps and bounds in moving towards non-violence and achieving peace. These times are not times of overwhelming violence, but times of surprising peace! Men is surprising by nature; they are capable of such unspeakable acts of violence and hatred, but at the same time can be loving, altruistic, and peaceful. When compared to the men in the times of our ancestors, we are ANGELS! Violence rates (as time goes on) have gone down, and when I say 'down' im not talkin' by decimals and thenths, i'm talkin' full on hundreds! So before you go and say that today's society is more bloodthirsty and morally bankrupt then ever, think about your great-great-great-great grandpa's days, and appreciate the times of "peace" that our previous generations never had the opportunity to witness.
Leon makes his case with fact after fact of concrete evidence. He reference charts, documents, and beliefs of studied-historians. It's hard to deny something that is supported so thoroughly. He is fascinated that humans have been able to shy away from their naturally violent instincts, and understand that peace is much more effective. "Not only had homicide rates gone down all over the developed world, but so had the amount of war, domestic abuse, rape, slavery, and all kinds of other unspeakable practices. The more Pinker read, the more convinced he became that humans, as a species, had undergone a truly profound transformation." Human dominance and sadism is taking a backseat to self-control and non-violence. Mankind deserves more credit; we've come a long way. The road has been bumpy, and often at times bloody, but we journey on, and make each new day better than the last. To be optimistic; we've overcome so much, and have defied the odds by choosing to not follow or basic beastly instincts, but instead to spread peace to each new generation.
To read the Article>> The Decline of Violence
Interesting, and thought-provoking. My eyebrows are furrowed as I write this, indicating that I'm in deep thought . . .
ReplyDeleteOpen your eyes. How can you say the world is at peace while in places such as Darfur, people are being slaughtered? "Since February 2003, the Sudanese government in Khartoum and the government-sponsored Janjaweed militia have used rape, displacement, organized starvation, threats against aid workers and mass murder," (www.darfursources.org). Thousands of innocent people are dying every month, and you claim the world is at peace? I'm sorry to rain on your perfect little parade. What about Bosnia or Rwanda? Instead of concentrating efforts to assure the world of peace and happiness, tell how there is somebody dying right now in Darfur, and research what you can do to help. You can't just say, "besides the genocide, we are at peace." We are not in a state of global tranquillity, no matter how clouded your illusions are.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, just because it is not as immediately dangerous to the citizens of the United States does not mean that it is not a problem. It seems as if the author is an Isolationist.
ReplyDeletegosh dangit I never said we were at peace, i simply said that compared to the past, it's stepping in the right direction on a LARGE SCALE. I'm aware there are individuals and exceptions to this broad statement. I'm not blind, my eyes are open, I know more than you think I do about the mass murders and genocide. I read an article, i responded, don't think that i pulled this conclusion out my own.....whatever. I didn't mean "peace" as in all our problems are fine and the world is dandy, I meant it to be ironic. We think these days are the worst there's ever been, but they're not. No matter what, total peace will most likely (unfortunately) never be achieved, but it's NOT debatable that humans in a GENERAL sense have tried to embrace peace over violence. And I'm sorry, but your comment about Darfur bothered me, not only do I know all about that, it's been verging on an obsession for over two years. In fact, I intended on going there one day as a reporter and a humanitarian. The world isn't perfect, but it's getting better through each individuals effort. hmmph
ReplyDeleteMikaela you're so passionate!! I agree with you that people are more aware of how important peace is. Obviously the world is never going to be perfect no matter what anyone does, you can't please everyone. Also, your voice is lovely and hysterical.
ReplyDeleteWe know a lot about the Nazis. We've studied them in history. I have been to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, and let me tell you, it was disturbing. They had exhibits that were prohibited to children because of the abundance of gore and violence. Yes, we as a nation have seen difficult and bloodthirsty days, but if there is a single soul being slaughtered, don't try and tell me that today is any better.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that today is perfect, but I think it is a huge improvement from times such as the holocaust. In some areas of the world, like the United States and Western Europe, things are very peaceful now compared to the past. I know that it isn't true of many places, but I think that we can hope that those places will follow the trend towards peace.
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm not really seeing how the Holocaust relates to modern times. We shouldn't forget about it of course, but it doesn't really represent modern times. And Kelly I agree with every word you said.
ReplyDeleteThank you, best bosom(:
ReplyDeleteWell said Regan
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