Simply..a big leap....

27/7/2016

.
..from table tops to terrorism I know, but I have been looking again at Steven Pinker's book The Better Angels of Our Nature in which he shows how, contrary to popular belief 'mankind has become progressively less violent, over milennia and decades'.

Published in 2011 it is subtitled The Decline Of Violence In History And Its Causes.

Pinker has a lot of interesting things to say about the media and our perceptions of violence and the nature of journalism....see also here and here and states that even taking into account recent events violence is still in decline.

If not exactly comforting it is at least a different, considered perspective, would you agree?

Wishing you a peaceful day.

8 Comments

Linda

29/7/2016 01:21:27 am

Instant and internet news does seem to pick up on things which make it seem as though violence is all around us, whereas in the past those incidents went on in various places, and most of us never heard about them, so I suppose he is right in that respect.

What I find sad, and scary, these days though, is the extent to which young people seem to think that violence, often extreme violence, is the answer. It's not limited to religion, or drugs, or even politics. Your normal,small-town misfit seems to want to take revenge (?) in the most violent way. Where did all this hatred come from?

Freda

29/7/2016 01:59:14 pm

It seems to be contagious in a very dangerous way.

cathy

29/7/2016 06:21:08 am

hits so close to home. a young man was apprehended Monday at our local theater w a gun/ammunition. fortunately this was before he got into the theater. it is presumed (from what's been learned) that his intent was to shoot. scary! I live in such an out-of-the-way, non-descript place...you just wouldn't think stuff like that would happen here.

Freda

29/7/2016 02:00:42 pm

How horrible Cathy - close to home brings it home to us.

Lotta

29/7/2016 07:43:31 am

So interesting that violence is statistically in decline and yet our awareness of it has increased to such a degree that it is in our thoughts daily, as news of it is hurled at us from every angle. Perhaps that in itself is as significant a form of violence? A mental/emotional violence masked as news or even worse, entertainment. No wonder it preoccupies our minds and saps our energy.

It’s heartening to hear that acts of violence are decreasing, but I wonder if, as we are exposed to more and more news of it, the presence of violence becomes an accepted 'norm' - not condoned, but unconsciously accepted. And as such that violence becomes part of us and we carry it forward not in our actions but in our perceptions of the world and in what we inadvertently teach the next generation about life, thus perpetuating violence in one form or another.

From what I can see, conflict/violence usually has fear and disconnection at its core and so the more we focus on violence rather than the causes of fear (our own would be a good starting point!), the more fearful and disconnected we become as a species, from which another cycle of violence emerges. Simplistic maybe, but I don't know of any happy connected people who would want to harm anyone else... (Fortunately there are lots of happy connected people in the world!)

Sorry for the long ramble, but you made me think today! Wishing you a peaceful day too. x

Freda

29/7/2016 02:03:08 pm

Don't be sorry - I am fascinated by all your replies. And by your idea that the very deluge of news of violence is itself violent. I do worry about the effect this has on children in particular,

Mary

29/7/2016 08:45:53 am

As others have said before me, the fluidity and access of news across the globe (in nanoseconds) has heightened not only the speed with which we become aware of violence, but provides minute details and photos/videos of it that are then viewed over and over again by many. I do believe there has been a desensitization of violence, some of it by news and still more by movies and video games where the line between reality and fantasy is blurred too easily. I hope that violence is decreasing. It is difficult to discern these days...especially with the demagogues out there trying to incite it.

But for today--PAX!

Freda

29/7/2016 02:05:10 pm

i was interested that some French newspapers are refusing to publish photographs and details of the perpetrators of violence - which is what they want and what they feed on....I am grateful to have had another peaceful day here.

Simply..a big leap....

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