The Essence of Violence

 

The Essence of Violence

Violence is defined as the act of destroying, threatening, killing, or instigating fear and panic in living beings or inanimate objects to advance one’s own desires or objectives. This is carried out through three distinct channels: physical action (deed), speech (word), and mental intention (thought).

If you accept this definition, you must also acknowledge that violence is inherently embedded within the governance systems of modern states. For instance, police and military forces are systematically trained with the specific intent to inflict harm or kill. Similarly, when laws authorize the destruction of homes or the imposition of the death penalty—the state-sanctioned act of hanging someone until they are dead—those laws themselves function as instruments of violence.

If that is the case, how should we actually define "violence"? I raise this question because our societal values are not evolving; they are regressing. We have descended into a form of barbarism where those in positions of power, and those who claim to be "civilized," now openly engage in predatory behavior—a "survival of the fittest" mentality reminiscent of animals. Whether you look at military affairs, politics, or the economy, the evidence is everywhere. We live in an era where even the abuse of minors is presented with a straight face on television and social media, treated as casual, acceptable content. When, as recently as last month, a state leader publicly threatened to wipe out an entire civilization, it became clear that we are in desperate need of a new, honest definition of what it means to be "violent."