One of my favourite scenes from Lord of the Rings, is where Gandalf requests that he enter Theoden's Hall with his staff. It was actually a powerful, magical staff, but when questioned to hand over his staff, he asked the guard, 'You wouldn't part an old man with his walking stick?' In this way, he worked way into the hall, with an unknown advantage. He happened to be a force for good, however we have seen when people use similar concepts to smuggle weapons of terror for example, into public spaces, creating an unfair advantage, and killing civilians. What is the deal with this situation? If you asked a terrorist to have a 'fair fight' they may walk away, and try something else another time. In a similar way, using high technology weapons to wipe out thousands of civilians, there is an unfair advantage at play. Let's break down the dynamics of what we call 'escalation' and see how we can avoid it where possible in simpler interactions.
The Adult Playground
Let's take a scenario where there are ten people on an island. There is one rule - only the last person standing will be allowed to live. If the island consisted of only grass fields, then one would assume that the one who has the best ability to kill the others using their body alone in fighting, would win. They would simply eat and train, and learn to fight properly, and the strongest would survive. Now, imagine in this situation, we introduce some simple crops, and then introduce a person who sells knives. One person sells the crops and buys a knife. What can the others do to survive? It is in the knife owners interest to kill them all. Kill, or be killed. How can you kill someone with a knife? Try to win through disarming them? What if they are more skilled? Wouldn't it help to have a knife? Even as a deterrent? Sure it would. One person getting a knife, puts pressure on the others to also have an equivalent or greater weapon. Now, add in a gun to the equation. It forces others to have guns or higher weapons. Escalate this further, and you simply get to the situation that exists today with nuclear weapons. The principle is that of escalation which is the same in the playground of today with knives, as it is in the world scene.
Is it already out??
We may frown on the example of nuclear weapons thinking it is very distant from our lives etc, however almost all of us are victims of a similar kind of escalation. When the first 'complication' is bought in, for example the knife in the story above, it puts pressure on others. This is exactly the same thing that happens when a new technology is released. It puts an upward pressure to consume, this is basically mass consumerism. We should be conscious whilst using some of these things, that whilst they may be useful, they are absolutely not necessities, and when we go on a nice beach break with sand, sea and coconuts, we are starkly reminded of this truth, and indeed like being reminded of it! Secondly, we should understand that if everyone dropped the knives, so to speak, many of the problems of the world, would simply disappear through simplification. However the problem is that no one will dare to drop their knife even though no one really likes holding on to it. The only way to solve the problem, is certainly not through the current generation, it is through the up and coming generations, who can be educated more holistically, and in fact we see this in glimpses sometimes in the way children question the sustainability of the way we are using the planet. We may not have the appetite or readiness to change overnight, even though this is absolutely possible logically speaking, however this change can certainly take place, carefully over time. So, let's be more conscious in the ways we invest, in the ways we interact, and in the ways we essentially grow.
As much as we humans would like to think we are above animals, more often than not, we act on the same impulses as the animal kingdom do. To work, eat, defend, and mate, are very similar albeit in more complex ways through jobs, buildings, restaurants, and so on. Those are actions, but also on the level of feelings, we are similar. Animals feel love, anger, compassion, jealousy. Those with pets, will understand especially well. Aggression, like other emotions, sits between being a sentiment and a behavioural expression; and there is a fine line between the two. It's not necessary that anger is the driver for aggression. Even before finishing this article, I can say that avoiding aggression is not an option given the dynamics we are around on a daily basis in this world. If I am not aggressive in trying to get a cab to stop for me in Hong Kong, there are times where I simply would not home or to a meeting. If I am not aggressive in making my way out of the MTR train when it is crowded and am behind five to ten people to get to the door, I will miss my stop. Those are lighter examples, but the principle is the same whether it is a war, or getting out of a train. People even talk of 'aggressive' targets in the corporate environment. When aggression becomes personal and highly emotive, which can happen in relationships that end in divorce for example, or in gang warfare even, it's something that can consume an individual, or a groups lives. It is unhealthy and has big consequences for individuals and society. It's important we understand where our aggression comes from, how we use it, and how we mature as we get older in our outlook towards aggression.
I'm not moving
When I was in my teen age, we were once on the way back from a wedding. It was in Leicestershire, slightly north of London, where some of the roads are very narrow. If there is an oncoming car, either you pull to the side, and let the car go, or the opposite car does so. Sometimes if the opposite car doesn't take the opportunity to pull to the side and continues coming, and nor do you, then there is a deadlock and someone has to reverse. It is a confrontational situation, and if someone doesn't compromise, and more cars keep coming from behind, there is a build up that arises as a result of lack of ability to compromise. This is what happened on that day of the wedding. We were in a car that was part of those building up. The two drivers who caused the buildup came under increasing pressure, and horning from those behind. One was a young guy, maybe late teens or early twenties, well built. The other was an older guy, maybe late forties. Both were adamant that the other should move back. They shouted and swore at each other. The young guy came out of his car, in a vest. Took his sunglasses off, and the older gent also came out. The youngster wasted no time, and punched the older man, whose hands went to his face as he was bleeding. The young guy carried on punching him, until he was on the floor. When on the floor he began to kick him. There was blood all over both guys. People were shouting for them to stop. There were another three guys in the youngters car, who were stopping others from getting involved. I had never seen such a thing before that time, and the memories of the confrontation are not good ones. It was unnecessary, easily avoidable, and had big consequences.
Boys & Men
Many martial artists, who are incredibly able in the fighting arts, have never had a fight outside of the dojo, ring or cage. A friend, Billy Schwer, an ex-Professional boxer shared that he was and is terrified of fights, and self-defence was one the main reason he even got into it. Billy ended up becoming British, Commonwealth, and European Light Weight and IBO World Light Welterweight Champion, but his fear of violence is something that stayed and still exists. Billy helps people every day, because this is his mindset; it is non-violent. Violence occurs when there in uncontrolled aggression. There is nothing worst than seeing loved ones harmed by others. Sometimes when I am annoyed at silly things like people getting in my way on the train etc, I have to remind myself that I don't know that person, so should not become angry at them. If someone else got so angry on my loved ones, I would not like it. So what gives me the right to get so angry on someone who may be a caring father, or wife, just because they are getting in my way on my journey, such a petit matter. We certainly all need to check ourselves sometimes. It seems unnecessary aggression is there just below the surface of so any people. In certain societies, anger or aggression does not manifest in violence so easily. This is to some extent because of mind control over generations. If I bang into someone in Hong Kong, I can rest assured that mostly a person won't turn around and start swearing at me aloud, leading to a physical fight. In a crowded bar of testosterone-fuelled teenagers in Aiya Napa, I cannot have the same assurance if I barged into someone. So aggression and use of it varies by people. Mind control is one thing, and rectifying an unjust situation is another. One can have their mind under perfect control, and still use aggression and even violence to rectify a situation.
The question of why
If I wanted to bust a drug cartel, I will need a combination of intelligence and likely also some aggression. Stopping violent people harming the innocent may also require aggression. Stopping someone with selfish motives derailing a teams strategy also takes intelligence and potentially aggression. Physical violence and exactly what it is, has always intrigued me. What is physical violence? If you explain to someone that this is not right, but they persist to do it, then you may explain to them further. Then it may lead to an argument over the topic to convince them not to do something wrong. If they persist further, it eventually comes to a point where you need to physically disable them from doing wrong. Aggression arising from pure hatred with no tangible reason, like with the Nazi's is not what am talking about here. This is aggression based on moral values and the broader good for all, which is sometimes required. A mother being aggressive towards a child out of pure love, is the mindset where we want to be. A teacher wants you to improve, so may be aggressive. It is for your benefit, it is not out of hatred. Although it may not be nice, there is no question of whether we need aggression or not, but we have to learn to question the cause of our aggression, harness it, and channel it in a very constructive way for ourselves and others.
"(Kings) are sometimes employed to kill animals in hunting because they have to practice the killing art, otherwise it is very difficult for them to fight their enemies. Such things are not auspicious."
Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagawatam, 4.22.13 purport
