We have many battles within ourselves.
The battle to take the short term pain Vs the long term reward. To wake up early compared to lying in bed for a extra time. To self indulge when others are suffering. To take pain in order to gain, to do uncomfortable things instead of comfortable things.
One of our core battles is the battle between our biological, animalistic nature, and our oneness with the world to give to others who need it.
On the one side with have an animal nature within us. This might be what is called the selfish gene. The gene exists to replicate, and we all have a selfish force inside of us which is to win, to be competitive, to conquer others. What may be called a will to power or a will to conquer. This is driven by our biology, motivated by fear, reward.
On the other hand, there is another force that connects us all.
In order to win this battle we must conquer ourselves, we must surrender and accept that what we can’t control, we must give without expecting to receive, and if we all do that then the world will be a much better place for us all.
The core problem is that the will to conquer is in some ways more powerful than the will to give. If someone wishes to invade your country then either surrender, or war, is inevitable. How can we fight against a will to conquer without meeting it with that same force?
We must become strong so that we can help others become strong. We become strong through education, self-improvement and learning, through overcoming challenges.
Peace requires first conquering oneself, and then conquering, or succeeding in ones society, or system, so one can become strong within that society. This may sometimes present a paradox.
It is up to each person how to craft a strategy to become better and to give. Many may, first, seek to become strong and then, so that they can then make the world better or choose to do both at the same time.
I believe we must always seek to do both, we must never forget the will to give, to make the world better, and it must always be our core driving force. The challenge, is whether that makes us less able to conquer and succeed, and whether.
