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P.S. Future
 

Posts On Peace

What does the word
'peace' mean?

Another war, and for some another privileged day to reflect on the meaning of life. For a while I’ve circled the idea of starting a podcast, P.S. Future, which stands for a product solutions or postscript future, and discusses product solutions with the potential to better serve future generations. As a global community we have the tools, but what’s the point of an advanced tomorrow if people are merely building sandcastles? I often wonder as a writer how my skills can better serve others. The act of spreading love and lifting people up seems the bare minimum. If the pen is truly mightier than the sword then I believe each member of our global community has the capacity to rain hope, heal broken minds, and mend hearts.

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Sometimes we are called to write a better world,

and sometimes we are called to repair our own.

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In order to build a world at peace one first needs to understand what the word ‘peace’ means. A ‘period of no war’ seems the simplest answer, but peace should mean more than teetering on the edge of chaos. The other definition is ‘freedom from disturbance’ or simply put tranquility. To remain calm is to be at peace, to exist in peaceful times, but I believe the road to achieving peace means focusing on the words ‘freedom from disturbance.’ For within this context there’s hope that peaceful times will remain so. 

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‘Freedom’ complicates the nature of peace. One person’s peace is another’s war, freedom for some could mean shackles for another. Universal peace means freedom for all, but how to achieve such a world without falling into a type of utopia? Can one live untroubled and free? I believe so, but what does that mean, look like, and how do we as a people arrive at a destination of peace?

 

A basic definition of freedom is ‘not being imprisoned or enslaved.’ Another definition of freedom suggests a world without ‘subjection to foreign domination’ or tyrannical government. However, herein lies the subtle problem of having the right to ‘act, speak, or think’ without ‘hindrance or restraint.’ In an ideal world this would be a good way to live, but ‘familiarity and openness in speech and behavior’ can be abused, and the right to do as one wishes can overlap with another’s right to do as they wish, and when the wishes, wants, and needs oppose one another conflict arises. To live with mobility and without any physical restrictions also has subtle nuances that complicates living a free and peaceful life. Self-determination and independence are beautiful words, but people depend on communities for survival. Even if we don’t wish to deal with negative consequences, they are unavoidable.

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We have an abundance of tools at our disposal, but we have a responsibility as to how we use those tools, and therein lies the divide between what freedoms will and won’t lead to a constructive future. Perhaps true peace can’t come from living undisturbed, but rather from learning how to respond to disturbances in a calm and peaceful manner. Whatever a person’s beliefs, if love is not at the center of what we do then there can be no peace, and without peace the only legacy any of us can hope to leave behind are sandcastles, washed away by the undefeated and hungry waves of time.

Peace, in society, stems from peace within each individual.

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“…peace is a state of mind not a state of humanity.”

– @Nerd_Waffle_

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If people are treated as slaves, subjected to tyranny both foreign and domestic, abused and bullied when attempting to be open, living without a balance of self-realization as well as a sense of community, and attempting to avoid anything troublesome then how can a bright future ever exist? A perfect and peaceful day isn’t the norm, but rather learning to live with everyday chaos and stress. 

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Peace isn’t about controlling people to move according to one person or a few peoples’ will, but rather the analyses of what movements are more fruitful than others. Whatever one plans, when dreams derail it’s important for each individual to have the necessary coping mechanisms and skills to make the best out of a situation. Anger is an important emotion, but for the sake of peace it should be used sparingly. Anger will move one to want better solutions, however, it’s important to harness anger and rather allow short term solutions a chance to improve any negative present and pressing situations.

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No one can demand peace (nor should they) of others, and one should at least first attempt to become an example of peace themselves. Love comes from love, and so too peace comes from understanding and mastering the chaos within, a choice reflected when a person responds from a place of inner peace. 

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“Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.”

– 1 John 3:18

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It’s easy to talk about keeping the peace, but it’s another story when met with aggression or any aggressor.

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The ego. ‘A conscious thinking subject’, testing reality and building a personal identity, which is great for self-esteem, but beware self-importance. The exaggeration of one’s worth and abilities can lead to all sorts of trouble, and complicates the road to peace. Self-respect is a pat on the back when a job is well done, but not an invitation to judge others. Why do you do what is right? Is it for the reward, the fame, or because it makes your heart happy to do good? Goodness doesn’t require a pat on the back, it’s a reward in and of itself. Self-respect is necessary to keep others from using you as a doormat, but having self-respect doesn’t give anyone license to disrespect another. Even, and especially if the other person lacks self-esteem. What kind of identity do you build up if you must tear another down to feel good about yourself?

‘A conscious thinking subject’ should neither act as a conscious thinking object nor consider themselves to be the highest of conscious thinking subjects.

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The ability to think comes with the responsibility to consider each thought, and not every thought requires an action or a comment. What then is the difference between a peacemaker and a chaos-creator? An answer lies in spreading understanding versus consciously spreading a lack of understanding. The making of peace should not be confused with the enforcing of peace or peacekeeping. If you have to force peace, if you have to remove free will, then your objective to spread peace has failed in its mission. A peacemaker should also not be confused with someone who attempts to make peace out of nothing. Peace, like love, is a language. Spoken, and unspoken, peace and love are languages with different dialects. Beware the mislabeling of peace. War is not peace, just as hate is not love. To communicate peace between two chaos-creators one must first teach peace. Translators between two peacemakers might also be necessary because an understanding of what peace means and looks like can differ.

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Awareness about the necessity for peace is a good first step, but after talk comes action. Action begins with education. Action without education risks the spreading of a lack of understanding, and even the peacemakers with the best of intentions can easily become chaos-creators without meaning to. Hence, I’ve decided to learn more about peace, and hope to share what I’ve learnt in my blogs on peace. Maybe you agree with my thoughts, but hopefully you will debate them, and perhaps write your perspective on what peace means and what it means to you. Perspective and experience aid thought processing when shared, and diversity is essential for a colorful world to exist.

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“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

– Mother Teresa

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References: 

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~~~ Peace Be With You Always ~~~

Ep 1

Posts On Peace
&
Folk-Tales

Tech, Peace, & Folk-Tales

How does P.S. Future, Posts on Peace, and Folk-Tales relate?

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By combing through product solutions, discussions on true inner peace, and the wisdoms found in folk tales there exists the opportunity to unite past, present, and future. Time holds the gears capable of moving a person and/or people forwards or backwards with regards to their evolution. The ability to survive and evolve beyond the confines of one's environment begins with a gentle revolution within. The act of severing oneself from that which harms growth, and utilizing the correct tools to heal and prosper re-builds bridges. Add a spark of inspiration, a cog of caution, and a toolbox full of potential to the bridges re-built and the network of possibility that becomes available to an individual is near infinite. 

 

Why does the preservation of history, the restoration of our peace, and organization of product solutions matter?
 

Stories make up the lifeblood of who we are by the means with which they inform our understanding of the world we live in. No man or machine can be expected to function long-term in a constant state of stress and flux. Even though the productivity of certain tools may increase during times of conflict, it's the productivity of goods during times of peace and relaxation that sets the successful from the surviving apart. If country A builds a tower at the expense of those employed, and country B builds a smaller tower while caring for those employed then the survivors exist in country A while the successful can be found in country B.

One could argue it is not the size of the tower but the size of the project leader's heart that determines the success rate. A bully-boss can achieve results but at the cost of their employees' sense of loyalty and morale. An empathetic boss might not achieve the highest results, but the people (which every product and service technically should cater to) are more likely to remain out of a sense of loyalty.

A well-balanced leader achieves the most, while inspiring the best. Written in another way: a person at peace, with a deep understanding of their environment, and supplied with the proper working tools will be sufficiently set up to achieve excellence in the short as well as long-term. 

 

What was one of the first tools ever made?

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The Oldowan toolkits include some of the oldest tools discovered by archeologists. One of the problems these toolkits attempted to solve was the biodegradability of tools made out of bones. Tools made out of stone lasted longer. One stone (the hammer-stone) hammered against another stone (the core stone) could shape the secondary stone into a sharper tool while simultaneously creating smaller sharp stones (stone flakes). Eventually hammer-stones were made out of metal, and a steel handle hammer continues the legacy of working as a simple and powerful tool.

As many problems as the hammer solves it is not a full-proof tool. One wrong swing without the proper eyewear, hand protection, and steel toe boots can cause some serious bodily harm. Hammers can also weigh a lot, which reminds me of the steel driver and Folklore legend John Henry that won a race against a steam-powered rock drilling machine. Even the most advanced jackhammers and hydraulic rock drills cause strain on their users and make for some of the worst noise pollution.

Titanium hammers might be the best type of hammer around today, but one of the first tools ever made still has a ways to go before it becomes the safest, sturdiest, lightest, most versatile, and easiest to use tool available to humankind. 

What do hammers have to do with peace?

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A hammer symbolizes justice, creation, and fertility, but it can also symbolize revenge, violence, and manual labor. Might, immortality, and destiny have also been associated with the hammer. All in all a hammer, much like peace, is a tool that can be used to protect and create or demolish and destroy. A hammer can dissipate anger by tiring its user, promote justice depending on the project it seeks to help build, and humbles as well as educates its user simultaneously.

Ken Sande uses similar qualities to describe Peacemakers. The difference between a peacemaker and a hammer is that even though peacemakers hammer out conflicts so to speak it should not be their first and primary goal. Peacekeepers control conflict by enforcing peace. Peacemakers focus on understanding their environment and the peoples involved in a conflict first.

True peace seeks love and grace, 'unity not uniformity', and sets its hopes on restoration, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

 

The connection between hammers, peace, and the Folklore Legend John Henry.

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Follow the top link listed in the reference below to hear a presentation given by Scott R. Nelson about the real nineteen-year-old man from New Jersey that inspired the legend of the great John Henry. A man, a hammer, and a protest against working people so hard they die turns into a song. The song unifies the workers, and reminds them to go slow and steady. The main character in the song becomes a legend and a hero that symbolizes victory. John Henry also symbolizes the ongoing fight against racism, the battle between man vs. machine, and the perseverance against working for callous bosses.

The fight for peace and justice lives on today, but the battles started a long time ago in Africa where homo sapiens first originated. The /Xam phrase and South Africa's motto "diverse people unite" contains the harsh pains and the incredible beauty of the ongoing hope of building a united, free, and peaceful future. The tales may be old, the countless injustices weigh heavy, and the railway tracks to peace appear overwhelming, but as the ancestors' voices continue to rise and sing within their descendants’ mighty breaths today, may the diverse tribes living across our world unite!

References: 

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Book References: 

  • “The Annotated African American Folktales” by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Maria Tatar

  • “The Peacemaker” by Ken Sande

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~~~ Peace Be With You Always ~~~

Ep 2
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