Why is it that people seem to love conflict? Recently there have been rising tensions as North Korea reinstated their nuclear weapons program and is said to have placed a missile on its east coast. This missile can allegedly reach the American continent.
In response to this the Americans have placed strategic warfare equipment to Guam in order to protect themselves and the South Koreans. This is much like the nuclear threat posed during the Cold War. Both sides having nuclear power and they both know that there could be huge repercussions worldwide by dropping a single bomb, mutual destruction. So, why do these countries choose to play chicken?
The tensions are high, and seemingly increasing. Historically we see a number of wars between people of other religions, of clashing ideologies, for cultural differences, and even amongst countrymen. War is something the human race seems to gravitate towards, though peace is constantly being preached.
This brings up age old philosophical questions. These are such questions of nature versus nurture and the wonderment of if people are innately good or if they lean towards destruction.
Throughout the ages there has been veneration of warriors and yet there has also been the praising of genuinely good people such as Gandhi. Others in the animal kingdom also fight and usually the strongest or toughest male becomes the leader of the pack. This is what humans have done in the past as well, the best fighter was assumed to be the strongest leader.
Not only have humans been drawn towards veneration of warriors, but we can see from early times people seem to find fighting entertaining. From the Roman gladiators to the medieval knights and even today's UFC or boxing are examples of how people are drawn to fighting and destruction. Even looking at sports such as hockey we see rules put in place to let people fight on ice, which is usually met with whoops and hollers.
This is actually quite strange when you think about it. People look for peace, they preach being kind and helping out our fellow man; yet, we're drawn to fighting and destruction. There's these two warring parts within humanity it would appear.
Now, what makes humans different than any other animal out there then? Other animals fight, but we seem to be torn between wanting to be peaceful and being drawn towards conflict.
Humans have a consciousness. People are aware that their actions hurt others, that one decision can have a ripple effect. There is a continuous thought process in which we weigh different choices and options that are open to us.
Humans also have a morality, which is taught to them by society. Whether this is by family or the larger society as a whole, we develop rules to live by and these rules are passed down to our youth. This creates accountability as humans are social creatures. They are to hold themselves accountable for their actions in order to get along as a group or society.
Something that has created a disconnect recently is this realization that we're all people and that the world is simply a macro society is technology. I'm not saying technology hasn't aided us in many ways, but there the good comes with the bad and when unmanned drones are now able to fight a war it takes the humanity out of the conflict, just as it does when we watch something on T.V.
People are desensitized to what's happening on the screen. Movies and video games have affected this, now I'm not saying that movies and video games create cold blooded killers. I can see gaping wounds on a T.V. screen and not flinch, butin person it makes me queasy to see large open wounds.
A drone, which can be controlled from the continental U.S. to kill people overseas, would have a similar effect I would think. It creates a disconnect between actions and feelings.
Jean Jacques Rousseau, in the 18th Century, began to write about humans and how being close to nature basically creates a better understanding of the world. That nature was calming and helped one create more of a connect with the world around them, including others in society. That our belief in possessions is destructive, but to live close to nature is not.
"The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said "This is mine," and found people naïve enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society," Rousseau wrote in his book, Discourse on Equality. "From how many crimes, wars, and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows: Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody."
I think this view of the world is fairly accurate, in the sense that if you think about the world and the different systems we learn about in school, everything is interconnected. Humans, though, can be extremely destructive to the world around them and it is this disconnect coupled with our, what I would say, animal instincts to be the strongest in order to rule.
Hierarchies, whether imposed or voted on, exist throughout history. It is simply the way people have organized themselves around the world. So, it makes sense that there are challenges that still exist; yet, at the same time it is surprising to see in the sense that the world has become a macro society where people are dependent on each other around the world. This means these conflicts affect the entire world and not a localized area as they once did.
Overall Rousseau might have been right. Material possessions and claiming that something belongs to one person may aid conflict between people. Jealousy seems to be a part of human nature, wanting something that someone else has, as well as wanting to keep their position of power within the hierarchy created throughout the world.
I'm not saying we should all go out and become hippies who live communally; but, the fact that people are drawn towards fighting and destruction continually throughout history is quite interesting to contemplate in my opinion.
