Ancient societies were founded on violence; it befits the society of our time to be founded on rational agreement and a rejection of violence.
You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” But I tell you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.
— Matthew 5:38–39
A skillful leader is not overbearing. This is called the virtue of non-resistance. This is called being in agreement with Heaven.
— Laozi
Those who think that it is impossible to lead people with anything other than violence, disregarding their reason, are doing the same thing to people that they do to horses, blinding them so they would go round in circles more obediently.
The so-called educated people—the ones who should be setting an example of the attitude towards violence that befits a rational being—scientists, liberals and even revolutionaries, are discussing, critiquing and preaching freedom and human dignity. But all this stops the moment they whistle to one of them to go under the yoke. And all the discussions, liberalism and talks of freedom come to an end; and they dress him in colorful livery, give him a rifle or a saber, and order him to run, and jump, and stand, and turn around, and put on his hat, and bow, and cry “hurrah,” and, most important, to be ready if ordered to kill his own father, and he—a liberal, a scientist, a revolutionary, a preacher of freedom—he jumps, and bows to whomever he is told, and cries “hurrah,” and is ready to use his rifle to kill whomever he is ordered.
So the very same people—the educated ones, for whom it would be most natural to strive to bring life into harmony with conscience—are the ones who do not believe the things they preach and teach.
What is people’s reason for if they can only be influenced by violence?
If you employ rational persuasion whenever violence is being used, you will rarely lose in the worldly sense, while experiencing complete satisfaction in the spiritual.
