The Force for Good

Though the current global situation can often seem quite dire, we’ve got a lot to be thankful for — it’s all a matter of perspective. Think about it: in the past, when nations declared war, citizens would proudly join in the violence. These days, people are fed up with the glorification of war, and strong movements for peace have shaken the political foundations of countries around the world.

Looking at things in the long-term can help us stay optimistic, even when the present seems overwhelmingly grim. The late Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, a German philosopher and the Dalai Lama’s tutor in quantum physics, recalls how the German and French were once bitter enemies. Yet within von Weizsäcker’s lifetime, Charles de Gaulle, who had led the Free French Army against the Nazis, became close friends with the German chancellor Konrad Adenauer.

The two leaders joined forces to support the formation of the European Union. De Gaulle and Adenauer’s actions resulted in a positive change in Europe that would have been unimaginable during the Second World War.

Today, peaceful relations between certain countries at war seems equally unimaginable, especially when we watch the news. Of course, the function of mass media is to inform us about current problems and threats. This can give us the impression that compassion among humans has long since disappeared, and that the cruelty will only escalate as each new day brings another round of frightening headlines.

But we must remember that, on any given day, the amount of kindness in the world vastly exceeds the incidents of cruelty — we just rarely hear about the positive side of things. What if more positive news was spread? Perhaps then we would see that kindness, not cruelty, is at the heart of human interaction, and would act accordingly