Guiding Light: Peace Is Quiet, Violence Is Loud

Just look around. Wars abroad. Rage on the streets. Tension behind closed doors. We live in an age where violence isn't shocking anymore , and that, in itself, should shock us. It feels like violence is woven into the very fabric of our lives, doesn’t it? Whether it’s the devastating wars we read about, the shocking incidents on our city streets, or even the subtle aggression happening behind closed doors, it’s almost everywhere. And it makes one wonder that How did we get here? How did something we instinctively reject become such a normal part of our world?

When we look back at history, it’s hard not to notice the constant presence of violence. Empires have risen and fallen, crusades have been waged, and revolutions have reshaped societies, all through conflict. But for all the moments of peace we’ve had, why does it feel like violence has left a deeper mark on humanity than any peaceful era ever could? Perhaps because peace is quiet and violence is loud. Peace doesn't make headlines but violence always does.

One of the major reasons as to why violence has become so deeply embedded in the human psyche is that on one hand, we denounce it but on the other hand we condone or even justify it. Just see the kind of films we watch, the games our kids play, or the news stories we consume whole day. Isn’t it harming our mind and soul?  We are outraged by real violence while simultaneously paying for fictional violence, and somewhere in that contradiction lies the answer we keep avoiding. Today even toys, cartoons and comics spread the virus of violence in young minds. A child who grows up shooting virtual enemies and watching heroes solve problems with their fists is being quietly taught that force is the most effective language. Hence, a world that has been fed so much on violence is no wonder becoming increasingly dangerous to live in for its occupants. So, the question is no longer just, why is there so much violence? The deeper, more uncomfortable question is, what are we, as individuals and as a society, doing every single day to quietly feed it? And more importantly, is there a way out?

(The writer is a spiritual educator and popular columnist for publications across India, Nepal, USA, UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and Mauritius. To date 9500+ Published Columns have been written by him. You can reach out to him at nikunjji@gmail.com or visit www.brahmakumaris.com)