Hey there,
this is a quick insight I wanted to share about Nonviolence. It was brought to me by “The Nonviolence Handbook” written by Michael Nagler.
I have been aware of nonviolence and the immense power of it, but it feels like the last few weeks have really led me to realize just how important it is to me. I am not completely sure about the word itself and have not yet gained clarity about all the aspects in which I want to differentiate myself from the classic perception of nonviolence – but what I know is that I want to live it the way I understand it. I want to turn pro in nonviolence.
That includes engaging with the ideas and concepts on deeper levels, that’s why I got the book.
One of my biggest insights, the main point of this text was this:
“It is not me against you, but you and me against the problem.
Try never to humiliate or to accept humiliation, for that hurts everyone.
The more you respect the humanity of your opponent, the more effectively you can oppose his or her injustice.”
There is a lot in there to unpack, but I want to focus on the middle part, because that struck me deeply. Reading this, I realized how much of my motivation was to “be a good boy” by shining the light on violence through my nonviolent actions. I show the world (or the people involved) how bad their actions are, but in the process I lose my connection to them and therefore to myself and the real nonviolence. This is a blind spot in this shining the light and it leaves an opening for blame, shame and humiliation to enter.
My goal should never be to invoke shame or judgement in the other person, but to keep loving them. To end some sort of injustice or hatred action without holding the space for love and connection is essentially putting the trash right under the bed.
My “mis-take” was (or is) to not hold the space for myself, to not fully love myself unconditionally. That leads to me trying to earn love and and prove my righteousness by actually humiliating others. I took my trash and placed it under their bed. Story of separation-style.
Step one: Don’t shame myself. 🙂
Step two: Write a post about it to gain more clarity
Step three: Live it. Do not humiliate nor accept humiliation.
As I anticipated during my first words, this turned out to not be as quick as I thought before writing them. But nevertheless I feel like I brought some clarity to my own inner life and maybe this will help others as well.
I am also learning right now that writing in English makes it easier for me to be clear and simple.
I am grateful for the book, the energy behind this word “nonviolence” and to all the people out there who have tried to enact “ahimsa”, to live nonviolently or to just think about it.
Lastly I am sending out some energy to the seed of nonviolence – or however you call it – that is sleeping inside everyone of us. May it awaken at the right intersection of time and space. 🙂
What about here and now?
🤟
“People try nonviolence for a week and when it doesn’t “work”, they go back to violence, which hasn’t worked for centuries.”
