I am missing the footbridge from "anger" to "violence." They're almost equivocated in the quote. I am not necessarily saying that I disagree with the notion that violence will always be present AND that violence stems from anger (and greed). But I reject the notion that anger always results in violence.
I am also sometimes slow, so I could be missing something.
And as a proponent of nonviolent communication (NVC), I define violence pretty broadly to be anything that has the potential to do harm (including words & communication).
Hi Jeremy, Merwin was a poet. I see him doing a subtle work that invites the reader to avoid the impulse to imagine that violence isn't something they themselves have to reckon with. I don't think he would say anger and violence are synonymous.
I've never been great at interpreting poetry. That's helpful. Thank you.
One of the things NVC has offered/taught me is that neither anger, greed, nor violence are substances. Poetic license certainly gives a lot of room for personification of such things, but in the end, anger is a feeling and violence is a strategy. Both are deeply related to *needs* and paying attention to needs - mine and others - helps us understand where the feeling of anger and the strategy of violence come from.
So can I "get rid of violence?" I don't think so. But I can sure make the choice to move toward better, less violent strategies to go about fulfilling whatever the missing need within me (and others) is that perpetuates violence.
In NVC, yes, violence is always a strategy, even on an individual basis. A strategy is a way that people go about seeking to fulfill their universal human needs. So there are good strategies that fulfill the need and don't create other needs, bad strategies that don't fulfill the needs, and even worse strategies that both don't fulfill the need and also create more in the self and in others (Hi, Violence!).
Strategies are most often involuntary and go without intentional thought. But then again, they also can be intentional and thought out as well. Violence fits in it all.
There are of course many frameworks to think about violence. NVC is one of them. If you're interested, Marshall Rosenberg is your first go-to.
Hi David, we have corresponded a little bit before on X. I am a sociologist of religion and have found your work really inspiring but this post has struck me particularly because of something that happened to me after I suffered a huge breakdown/kind of psychosis after submitting my PhD which led to a huge outpouring of anger. Would you mind if I sent you a message asking about it? I’m spent seven years strugglign to overcome this anger because it is so far from who I was before.
We can get rid of violence and anger within ourselves. If we don't, we just perpetuate it. Instead, the energy of violence and anger can be transformed into doing good. The reason anger has to be transformed is that anger is a part of the stress response, which reduces our ability to think clearly. Athletes have learned this and by managing the anger response, athletic performance improves. Business culture is also discovering this. Top-down hierarchical structures do not work, greed is a bad motivator, hierarchies are being flattened, communication channels are changing, discussion making at lower levels, shared purpose and the solving of social needs becomes the primary motivator.
I am missing the footbridge from "anger" to "violence." They're almost equivocated in the quote. I am not necessarily saying that I disagree with the notion that violence will always be present AND that violence stems from anger (and greed). But I reject the notion that anger always results in violence.
I am also sometimes slow, so I could be missing something.
And as a proponent of nonviolent communication (NVC), I define violence pretty broadly to be anything that has the potential to do harm (including words & communication).
Hi Jeremy, Merwin was a poet. I see him doing a subtle work that invites the reader to avoid the impulse to imagine that violence isn't something they themselves have to reckon with. I don't think he would say anger and violence are synonymous.
I've never been great at interpreting poetry. That's helpful. Thank you.
One of the things NVC has offered/taught me is that neither anger, greed, nor violence are substances. Poetic license certainly gives a lot of room for personification of such things, but in the end, anger is a feeling and violence is a strategy. Both are deeply related to *needs* and paying attention to needs - mine and others - helps us understand where the feeling of anger and the strategy of violence come from.
So can I "get rid of violence?" I don't think so. But I can sure make the choice to move toward better, less violent strategies to go about fulfilling whatever the missing need within me (and others) is that perpetuates violence.
You think violence is always a strategy?
Sorry for the delayed response.
In NVC, yes, violence is always a strategy, even on an individual basis. A strategy is a way that people go about seeking to fulfill their universal human needs. So there are good strategies that fulfill the need and don't create other needs, bad strategies that don't fulfill the needs, and even worse strategies that both don't fulfill the need and also create more in the self and in others (Hi, Violence!).
Strategies are most often involuntary and go without intentional thought. But then again, they also can be intentional and thought out as well. Violence fits in it all.
There are of course many frameworks to think about violence. NVC is one of them. If you're interested, Marshall Rosenberg is your first go-to.
Thank you.
Hi David, we have corresponded a little bit before on X. I am a sociologist of religion and have found your work really inspiring but this post has struck me particularly because of something that happened to me after I suffered a huge breakdown/kind of psychosis after submitting my PhD which led to a huge outpouring of anger. Would you mind if I sent you a message asking about it? I’m spent seven years strugglign to overcome this anger because it is so far from who I was before.
Hi Jo, I'd welcome that. You can reach me via my Belmont e-mail account.
Thank you for the much-appreciated introduction to Gwendolyn Brooks' poetry.
Current circumstances make even a pledge impossible, but you have my promise to share your offerings.
Thank you, Miriam. No pledge needed. This effort is free and will remain free. Serious thanks for sharing what I'm sharing.
We can get rid of violence and anger within ourselves. If we don't, we just perpetuate it. Instead, the energy of violence and anger can be transformed into doing good. The reason anger has to be transformed is that anger is a part of the stress response, which reduces our ability to think clearly. Athletes have learned this and by managing the anger response, athletic performance improves. Business culture is also discovering this. Top-down hierarchical structures do not work, greed is a bad motivator, hierarchies are being flattened, communication channels are changing, discussion making at lower levels, shared purpose and the solving of social needs becomes the primary motivator.