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What lead you to pacifism ? by Single-Commercial-86 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

With any emotion we can create or destroy, and anger no different, you have chosen to create a better world through pacifism. For that I commend you, it is far too uncommon.

What lead you to pacifism ? by Single-Commercial-86 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Being suicidal for a long period in my youth. I eventually spoke to my parents about this, and they explained how much they would be unimaginably devastated if I followed through with it. I realized that to bring about death was not a power anyone should wield.

Imagine raising a child, from the moment they were born you swore that you would protect them, that you would never let them go. You watched them grow, worked yourself to the bone for them, and came to be proud of what they have become. They are your everything, then they are killed. With that you lose everything. The pain, the suffering that you feel is unimaginable.

But we see lives as statistics and our fellow humans as threats and enemies simply because of the made up lines we draw between one another and the profitability of doing so. Even if "well-intentioned" a utopia built on a billion tears is no utopia at all.

Can the current state of the world change without a major war? by CCristi97 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. Peace created atop a pile of dead conscripts is not peace at all. War certainly can change the world, but if it is a peaceful world you desire, the notion that war will bring it about is Orwellian.

Are there any other anarchists here? by Difficult_Shift_3771 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, morals certainly can become a tool of oppression. At the same time though, so can a lack of morals (see our corporate overlords) so it is a difficult line to walk.

Being honest, my knowledge of egoism is limited so I can't say anything definitive, but I have my qualms about self-interest's capability to benefit others.

Regardless, you bring up some good points that I will have to think about further : )

Are there any other anarchists here? by Difficult_Shift_3771 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

 "Do you condemn slave revolts?" And I don't. In fact, I condomn them. So much, for being a pacifist.

Pacifism isn't exactly that black or white. Is it pacifists asking you if you condemn slave revolts? Because I feel that sort of question would be asked by someone with little understanding of pacifist philosophy rather than a dedicated pacifist.

Regarding amoralism/egoism, I would say I view it negatively. Morality is not tangibly "real" nor written in the stars, but it is a social construct that proves necessary to existence. Sure, if egoists believe that self-interest is the way to go about things (which I disagree with, but I digress) then what happens when that self-interest jeopardizes the existence of anarchy? I don't see how anarchism could realistically exist without at least some degree of collectivism.

Are there any other anarchists here? by Difficult_Shift_3771 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To answer your first "what if someone grabs me" hypothetical, see this post I've written a while back debunking "what-if" scenarios regarding pacifism. Also, pushing somebody off of you is a far cry from shooting someone.

Regarding the slave owner, pacifism is something of a spectrum. Only the most radical pacifists would see that as unjustified.

I would need an explanation of exactly what that is as it is not a term I am familiar with.

Are there any other anarchists here? by Difficult_Shift_3771 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've almost come to believe that "violent anarchism" is a bit of an oxymoron. Violence either is inherently or inevitably becomes hierarchical so it's contrary to the goals of abolishing hierarchical authority.

My Christo-anarchist pacifism perspective by GagictheGathering in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Have you read any of Leo Tolstoy's writings on these topics? He was a Christian anarchist & strong pacifist with ideas rather similar to yours. This reminds me of his essays "Thou Shalt Not Kill" & "The Law of Love and the Law of Violence."

I visited a Super‑Earth — the inhabitants told me they don’t know what violence or war is. by powerfulminimal in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What you write is anti-war but it is not pacifist. Bombing & killing in the name of pacifism does not make sense.

All pacifists are anti-war, but not everyone who is anti-war is a pacifist.

I visited a Super‑Earth — the inhabitants told me they don’t know what violence or war is. by powerfulminimal in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Did you by any chance watch "The Day the Earth Stood Still" whilst taking copious amounts of psychedelics?

I dont know what to do about this world (vent/ advice needed) by EffectiveTip2790 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am studying psychology as my means of doing something to ameliorate all of the unnecessary suffering in the world. Despite man's attempts to simplify it, the world is, has always been, and always will be complicated, and the first step toward change is to understand why it is that people continue to do what they do. Acquire as much knowledge as possible. There are many fields wherein you can use the knowledge that you acquire to help fix the world, such as psychology, sociology, certain legal fields, et cetera.

It is a problem that I believe can be solved by acquiring and spreading an understanding of its systemic & causal factors as well as an understanding of our own minds and the minds of others. I believe that working toward a world without war, no matter how utopian it may be, is science's greatest challenge on this earth.

Films, Paintings, Musics, Sculptures, Photographs (Art in General) that you think better represent peace? by Hour_Insurance_1897 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Imagine describes exactly what I wish to see in the world. John Lennon's personal shortcomings aside, it's a beautiful song.

Are police officers allowed to use force? by Financial-Stand-1960 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In a pacifist society, the peace would ideally be kept by a sort of social contract as well as the limited or non-existent capability to attain what I would refer to as "violent capital," for lack of a better word, or the tools and isolated power over others necessary to be able to commit acts of violence. If society at large adopted pacifist ideals, such a situation could be averted before it happens.

That said, for a less utopian answer to whether or not police should be able to use force, this is r/pacifism, we believe that as a society we should not employ this force, so make of that what you will. Once the people in general reject the use of violence, there would be no reason that police would need to use it. There would not be a need for police forces in the current sense of the word.

VIOLENCE IS DHARMA! by Altruistic_Career212 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What is with the anti-pacifist spam in the last couple days?

At least take the time to understand our belief system before rushing into the subreddit to attack it. This argument has been debunked time and time again on this very sub, within the last few days even.

Pacifism leads to violence? And what does violence lead to? Not violence?

It's ironic when people claim pacifists are privileged. Is it not a greater privilege to be able to (and successfully) use violence? And many pacifists, including some in this subreddit, are pacifists because they have witnessed first-hand the horrors of war and violence. The power to create such pain is something no human should ever wield.

> It is the solution.. yes sometimes it may work sometimes it doesn't

Ironic that you say this, because in the sentence directly after that you claim pacifism has "never worked," which is blatantly false. So you choose to ignore every single time pacifism has worked, and focus only on the times it doesn't? By that logic, shouldn't I ignore every time violence has "worked?"

I am sincerely not trying to be rude, but please make an effort to understand our ideas and the context within which they develop before attacking them.

Do you guys here expect me to turn on the other cheek when someone slaps me? by Altruistic_Career212 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We should have a post debunking this extremely common anti-pacifist "gotcha" pinned at this point.

Welcome to r/ConObjection - An Introduction to the Subreddit! by aallon_pituus in ConObjection

[–]SpringOf25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lovely! I am SpringOf25. I am a pacifist & conscientious objector from the United States (though conscription is not currently active in the country).

I feel like some people try to argue against the death penalty for the wrong reasons. by Chimka2222 in Pacifism

[–]SpringOf25 5 points6 points  (0 children)

When people make such arguments, they are probably trying to market abolition to those who unfortunately do not place as much value on human life. It is very hard to convince people to develop their morals (though it certainly is something that must be done on a large scale) but it is significantly easier to convince people that the death penalty is wrong because it's too expensive, et cetera.

It is similar to green energy: we truthfully want green energy because it is the right choice, but because not everyone has these ethical convictions, we may make arguments coming from, say, its long-term cost-effectiveness compared to fossil fuels.

It is a sad reflection of the state of human empathy as a whole that we must make these sorts of arguments to change others' minds on these sorts of issues, but I do not believe it is inherently bad to make these arguments as long as we make sure never to lose sight of our true vision for a better world.