The concept of “peace” is similar to that of “love”. Is there anyone who does not desire love and want to be able to love? And are there people who do not long for peace and see peace as the greatest good?
But, as Erich Fromm asked himself in his timelessly topical book “The Art of Loving”, why is there so little love in the world when we all want it so much? And we can also ask ourselves why we live in a world full of war on a large and small scale, and why does a mood creep into the atmosphere that seeks to stifle the question and desire for peace?
Erich Fromm’s illuminating insights on the question of love include the following: “Most people see the problem of love primarily as the problem of being loved themselves, instead of loving and being able to love.”
And further: “I would like to convince the reader that all his attempts to love must fail unless he actively tries to develop his whole personality and thus succeeds in becoming productive… .”
Peace requires activity. A person who longs for peace, creates peace and radiates peace is an active person. Longing and desire alone are not enough. In the 1980s there was an active peace movement with the motto “Creating peace without weapons”. I would like to preface all considerations on peace with another thought. Without weapons, but with what then? What means are available to us for peace work?
My suggestion would be: “Create peace with the tool of consciousness – think peace, feel peace, live peace.”
Let our weapons be weapons of the spirit, not tanks and bullets
The first contribution on the subject of peace is an old one, from 1932. Its author is Albert Einstein, who wrote a letter to Sigmund Freund. In it, he writes that he is a militant pacifist. One who fights for peace. A highly current letter, with the request - "Let...
