I believe You would think that everybody knows how to fight. It's a common enough phenomenon.
However, in homes for the blind, children are taught how to be punished. They have no role models, because they can't see negative activities exhibited by other children, such as sulking or temper tantrums. A blind child who acts out must be punished, but only after he has been taught how to receive the punishment. In some institutions, he is taught to sit on the floor outside the classroom door until he calms down, after which he is invited back into the room.
Similarly, people have to be taught how to fight. If their role models do not fight in a constructive manner, then they do not know how to fight properly.
Fighting is a major force and a major threat in our lives. For example, the Aaron Principle demonstrates that fighting is but another way to lose battles.
Counselors and psychologists may also lose "battles" with their clients, even though they may feel that they are fighting a just war.
Many people are fooled or tricked into fighting unwanted battles. They may be led to believe that if they pose a challenge, others will jump in to fight for their rights. This mistake is becoming increasingly common, since our society does stress the need to protect individual rights.
However, there is another option. Not everybody is a fighter, not everybody wants to fight, and not everybody is willing to fight. After all, the world does need pacifists, just as it needs both followers and leaders.
Some people choose to allow the initiatives of others to blossom and come to fruition. They choose their fights, and when they are faced with issues that are not on their agenda, they give in rather than fighting.
Since a good deal of the 6,000 years that we have been on this planet has been scarred by fighting, this option is becoming more and more viable and attractive.
in getting into hot water
It keeps you clean
- G. K. Chesterton
Is fighting important?
Read more about fighting
Read more about psychology
Find out about the Jewish Psych Forum
Find out about other Jewish and Hebrew forums
Are you required to read this webpage for a course? Do NOT print out the article. It is copyrighted.
Your exercise for this article is as follows:
Copyright © David Grossman. World rights reserved. This article may not be printed, forwarded, reproduced, or copied in any way or in any medium without written permission from David Grossman.
Keyword: About, Blind
/GrossmanPsych/Fight/About