From Pain to Violence
What has become apparent is that, for violence to take place, there must be a cognitive process of dehumanisation of the ‘other’ backed up by the narcissistic rage of the traumatised self, in addition to the neurophysiological manifestations of a disrupted attachment system.
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No one truly interested in both understanding human violence and reducing its prevalence can now afford to ignore these studies and their conclusions. Violence is not an innate biological instinct: it is the manifestation of both our disrupted attachment bonds and our shattered self.
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One of the most recent and important changes in the world of science is the realisation that reality is a construct of our minds. This has been made very clear in our attempt to understand the origins of human violence. Those men and women who have known much pain and fear have to see the world in a way that makes sense of their suffering and of their life experience: theirs is a belief in man’s innate destructiveness. Those who feel more secure in their capacity to love and be loved have another view of the world and of humanity, a view that recognises the importance of human relations and the need to value the ‘other’. Most of us struggle in the confusion created by these two opposing world views of life and human nature: our mistake has been not to realise that such differing views of human nature reflect deeply held convictions that are essential to the preservation of the individual’s sense of self. Our current beliefs relating to man’s feelings and behaviour are the last chapters of a long life-story: they need to be treated with respect and humility.
It is my hope that at the end of this book, those of us who have been blessed with a sense of security and a capacity to empathise with others, will feel empowered to achieve some of the changes required to save our world and that of our children from a ‘war without end’. For others, it may simply be enough to be able to tolerate the fact that different ways of thinking about human nature are in themselves a reflection of an individual’s personal and cultural past, a way of making sense of the world as each one of us has known it. This acknowledgement is in itself an act of scientific humility which will help us achieve a little progress on the long road to peace.