Can We Ever Attain A Peace Beyond Compromise?

There is a cycle in the history of mankind that specifically tells tales of rise and falls. It all makes sense — The Trojan War described by the poet Homer in his great epic “The Iliad”, The Ionian revolt considered as the first major conflict between Greece and the Achaeminid Empire and World Wars that spanned through multiple borders, major international conflicts during the 20^th century.

This is a cycle that proves to disappoint some of those who advocate, that war compounds conflict and peace, a finale of wars.

Yet discussion follows: Is there in all of mankind’s history, where peace went beyond compromise?

To know the nuances and complexities which walls the attainment of peace, one seeks to magnify a deeper understanding of conflict.

Truth tells us that conflict is influenced by values systems, belief or principles which seems to be difficult to digest. These are values coming from one’s (1) Individual, (2) Societal, (3) Familial or (3) Religious environments that are often found to be difficult to accept by differing cultures from cultures if diversity is seen as a weakness or in negatives.

Rooted in one’s self are individual values; which from here, a model strongly suggests why we always live in ordinary peace, while ‘peace beyond compromise’ is a far, far reality.

As human beings we have our own sense of self. Our values shape our identity and what we value shapes who we are. We know that we have our own needs, needs that enable us to exist. Our aspirations drive us to become better versions of ourselves – becoming free to dream bigger, reach higher. On one side, we recognize that others ultimately have their own needs and aspirations.

This meta-cognition of needs and aspirations, both for one’s self and others, allows us to extend ourselves, enabling others to become our other-selves thus, meeting at one point in the middle through shared needs and aspirations, we become in compromise with others.

And Conflict?

Yes. A final understanding indicates that it is when people, governments, societies or civilizations fail to recognize each other’s shared needs and aspirations.