The many faces of violence

One of the most persistent ideas that continue to manifest on our planet is that violence is physical and most of it is justifiable.  If there is one big lesson that I've learned in my life is that those two ideas are false.  When we start working on learning the Pacem Arts (The Art of Peace), it demands that we replace some of our old core beliefs with new paradigms.  That process can be very disruptive, especially for those who are unable or unwilling to do that work.  Those people will have a tendency to bang heads with those who are making the shift.

When it comes to violence, it is much more than a "behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something."  Violence takes on many forms, whether it be physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, financial, etc.  So to help those who struggle with my stance, let's review what these violent behaviours look like and why I consider them violent!

Physical Violence

I'll start with this one as it is the easiest for people to see and relate towards.  It is easy because we can literally see the harm and damage that results from the physical act.  It can range from the extreme of blood oozing out of ones body due to a bullet holes, knife cuts or other forms of trauma all the way down to physically preventing people from acquiring the resources they need to survive.  Kicking people off the land using the threat of violence is indeed violent in itself.  

The point is, great harm is being done which has a profound and long lasting impact on the individual(s) involved.  When we look at violence, it is important to acknowledge the results of the harm and impact that the behaviour or action created.  How that harm or damage is created is irrelevant.  What we must acknowledge is that the harm or damage was done.  So let's explore some of the other ways harm or damage can be done that fits outside the physical scope of our actions and behaviours.

Emotional Violence

This is a common form of violence that we have all witnessed.  Many people feel this is normal so they may not even acknowledge it as a form of violence.  When we yell at people, engage in guilt, shame or other behavours to put a wedge between us and the other individual, we break down any chance of having emotional intimacy with that individual.  We are social creatures and emotional intimacy is just as important as food, clothing, water, air or shelter. When we engage in covert or even overt behaviours to break down the emotional intimacy, stability or health of another being, we are engaged in a brutal and cruel form of violence.  

In my earlier years, I was a master of emotional violence.  I would use all kinds of passive / aggressive behaviours to manipulate or control people around me.  Guilt and shame were common approaches but I would also resort to depression, frustration, walking away, pouting or only doing things on my own terms in order to manipulate or control those around me.  As a result, I was able to engage in a form of narcissistic emotional violence that caused great harm to my relationships with other people, harming them and myself.  When we break down our emotional intimacy with one another, we break down the very foundations that we depend on for our own emotional health and well being.  

When we post abusive and degrading content on other people's social blogs / post, that form of emotional abuse is a level of violence more insidious than physical violence.  It results in harm that is emotional, which is hidden and does not produce physical blood to spill or bruises to show up.  We don't even need to be in the same room to harm others in this way.  We can do it even though we are thousands of miles away from one another.  But emotional violence is very real and can be even more deadly than physical violence.  We have an epidemic of emotional violence in this world and that has to stop just as much as the physical violence.

Mental Violence

This form of violence was a favorite of mine when I was younger and I see a lot of very intelligent people using it on others, especially within the system!  The premise behind this form of violence is that smart people use their intellect to make other people feel absolutely stupid, useless, incompetent or unworthy of making decisions or even holding specific roles within our social communities.  I used this relentlessly on my wife, family, friends and even clients as I felt unworthy or even insecure about my own abilities and skills.  

So what I would do is tear people down in order for me to feel superior so that I can compensate for my own feelings of in-superiority and unworthiness.  As a result, people around me received verbal tongue lashings or intellectual rebukes from me as I would berate and belittle them, resulting in profound breakdowns in mental confidence, abilities and emotional trauma.  Name calling, dismissing peoples abilities, skills and contributions can all have a profound and deeply harmful consequence, especially in social media arenas where we don't get to see the results or impacts of our behaviours.  

The thing about harm is that the perpetrator does not get to determine whether harm was a result of their actions or not.  It is the one receiving the violence that determines if there was harm.  Trying to dismiss other people who are trying to express to us the level of harm that was done is a violent act as our attempt to belittle or gaslight their feelings or thoughts is yet another form of control.  

Financial violence

I'm going to lump a bunch of stuff under this heading as it all seems to be similar.  When we control what other people can do with their money or belongings, we are engaged in violence.  I used to control the money that my wife spent and if she bought a $5 pair of sweats, she would receive the riot act from me.  I also used to insist that she does not need a vehicle either.  All of these things are representations of her own freedom and independence.  By controlling those physical things, I used them as an extension of my mental, emotional and physical control over her.  This level of violence is found all the time in many unhealthy relationships, whether it be between husband and wife or even with our relationship with the state.  The point is, violence is absolutely necessary if we want to continue to control what other people do and the harm associated with that level of control is beyond acceptable. 

The rewards that I am waiting for that was given to me by others is none of anybodies business.  None.  Period.  

Spiritual violence

This one is a bit harder for people to comprehend, but when we acknowledge and accept that we are all spiritual beings and that everything is energy, how we wield our energy becomes a paramount concern.  Even my thoughts can end up energetically betraying me or harming others.  Lusting over other women is enough to induce spiritual violence against them, even though they don't know me, we have never met or we are not even in the same room together.  Our hatred and strong feelings we have towards others can have a profound and long lasting impact on our self and those we direct our hatred towards.  The spiritual violence then ripples throughout the universe as we create a level of energy that does not resonate with the principles of love, forgiveness, prosperity, peace or freedom.  Our own thoughts, feelings, actions and behaviours have profound influences in our lives and in the lives of others.  

It is our duty to be consciously aware of what those ripples are as we are powerful spiritual beings.  Our actions and behaviours have consequences and it is our duty to ensure that what we do does no harm to others.  However, if we consciously choose to ignore the vast majority of what we do, then how can we possibly turn around the human condition that we see burning around us?

Violence on the blockchain

While some disagree with my assessment, I stand on the statement that there is a LOT of violence on this blockchain and it manifests in the physical, emotional, mental, financial and spiritual aspects of our relationships with one another.

While flags have been 'justified' by the designers and programmers, it must still be recognized that the flags and the blockchain as a whole is not a governance model but only a tool to help facilitate our relationships with one another.  It does NOT control the behaviour of others but instead magnifies those behaviours.  

I know for a fact that most of the small fish and even some very large fish in this pond are absolutely terrified of being flagged by people.  That is not conducive to peace, freedom, respect, honour or non-violence.  Many people on this blockchain justify it as a means of controlling those who spam or engage in violence.  However, violence is NOT a healthy way to respond to violence.  If anything, violence begets violence and only perpetuates our violent behaviour.  

As a result, we continue to witness the degradation of our social relationships in our lives.  I don't give a shit if others disagree with me.  I don't give a shit if people think I'm wrong or flawed.  In the end, I choose who I interact with and I need tools to help me maintain my boundaries.  I can do that by having the capacity to block those who engage in violence against me or others.  I need the tools that allows me to set those boundaries without lashing out at others.  No AI or computer algorithm is going to do that for me, nor do I want them to.  I AM the one that determines which relationships I want to engage in and which ones that I'm going to say good bye towards.  

This blockchain is indeed a ledger and that entire ledger is public.  It is time that we have the capacity to turn our own ledger into a private ledger so that I chose who can or cannot interact with me.  I chose the boundaries and standards upon which I interact with others.  If people are not able or willing to rise up to respect those standards, then I chose to say good bye!  A lot of the suggestions that people made in my last post came far short of this type of capacity.  This problem is not fixable from the app level but instead must be addressed at the blockchain level.  

The violence that I witness on a daily basis on this blockchain is not even close to being acceptable, loving or appropriate.  I don't give a shit how people justify their behaviour on this blockchain.  Violence is violence and we all have a duty to look in the mirror and evaluate our own participation in it all.  Disagree with me all you want, it still does not get people off the hook for participating in their own brand of vigilante justice against others here on this blockchain or in our lives face-to-face.  

I seem to stand as a minority of one when it comes to this point.  The vast majority of people don't see these relationship issues in the way I see them.  Rather than working hard to comprehend these ideas that I share, many chose to justify the status quo.  So be it.  I cannot change you or anybody else as I AM responsible for myself and others are responsible for themselves.  

However, I chose to stand on the foundation of peace, freedom, respect, honour, integrity, love, prosperity and joy.  That means my time will be spent to build relationships so that we can have deep emotional intimacy as we get to know one another on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level.  It means that I will work hard to evaluate all my actions and behaviour to ensure that I don't engage in any of those forms of violence as I don't want to cause harm to others or myself, no matter which form that harm may take.  The fact that I raise these questions and that it does NOT result in a self-evaluation in others is what concerns me the most.  People would rather rebuke me, mute me or un-follow me than take a long, hard look in the mirror.  Sad, but an accurate testimony to the state of our relationships. 

So be it.  Do what you need to do.  But ignore what I'm saying at your own risk.  The consequences will be significant if we don't have the courage or wisdom to look into these covert levels of violence that most people chose to ignore.  

We are commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves.  That requires a tremendous amount of work to heal ourselves to the point where we truly love ourselves.  I believe I've done a lot of that work and I continue to do that work on a daily basis.  The consequences of that work demands that we no longer engage in violence with other people.  It demands peace, freedom, patience and love be expressed in all that we do.  Confronting those who engage in violence is a foundational principles of this work.  

So once again, I stand on the principle that flagging, name calling, spamming, dehumanizing, sharing abusive memes, etc is all levels of violence that is not acceptable here or anywhere!!!  I stand on the blog post I wrote last year as I worked hard to explain the commons, gifts, feelings, harm and violence.

https://steemit.com/ungrip/@wwf/the-eyes-see-only-what-the-mind-is-prepared-to-comprehend-henri-bergson

If you are new to my work or want to revisit my post, feel free.  My challenge to those who disagree with me:  Are you truly engaged in behaviours for peace and freedom?  Can you do that work peacefully without being a self-appointed police officer, engaged in violence to ensure others behave themselves?  Can you respect the boundaries of others so that EVERYONE has an opportunity to participate on the blockchain?

Or is this blockchain going to continue down the road of tyranny as people engage in violence to control or manipulate others as they police the blockchain?  

Yes, I piss people off with these types of posts, but I stand on the foundations of what I speak about, whether others can see it or not.  I'm not here to make friends.  I'm here to confront violence in all it's forms and encourage healthy relationships to flourish as a result.  Peace to you all.

Source:  IIT Bombay (Wikimedia Commons)