Day of Nonviolence: Social Psychology Insights - Essay Example

Day of Nonviolence: Social Psychology Insights I began preparing my participation in the Day of Nonviolence by reflecting on what I personally understand by the term violence, why and how it happens, and what I can do to avoid it. More than just the mere avoidance of violence, I also thought of positive actions I can do on my own to foster an environment that I could control into a zone where I could build up an atmosphere where violence can be avoided or minimized. Lastly, I had to admit the possibility that I could fail to live up to any or all of the resolutions I made, so I made the decision that no matter what happens, I would stick to the most important resolution of all: I would try my best, and that I would rise up and begin again after every moment of failure.

My personal reflection of the topic of violence gave me some important insights into the nature of this beast called violence that is present the world over: it is the absence of inner peace. Every external violent act is a sign of a deeper interior conflict waged in the imagination, memory, and in the mind that was restless until it could find an outlet outside of the person. It is this uncontrolled personal inability or mental weakness to channel restlessness that finds its way to acts of aggression.

I always believed that humans, except perhaps those who are mentally or emotionally ill, are capable of using their mental and emotional powers to get along well with others. I know this from experience, so part of my preparation was to be thankful that I am what I am - a nonviolent person who can control myself when I want to (which, thankfully, happens most of the time).Gaining a deeper insight into the concept of violence, I made a few key resolutions as to how I could live the Day of Nonviolence.

First, I would think good thoughts and keep out of my mind any bad and evil perceptions about other people. Second, when I feel my temper rising, I would assume good things, and that I would try to understand why others behaved that way or why they said those things. And third, I made a resolution to smile or, at least, to avoid looking mad so I can show an image of peace that is the best starting point for an intelligent discussion with others. My fourth resolution is that in everything I would do, from the moment I wake up to the time I put myself back to bed, I would try and try again, even if I had just failed, to begin again, and to use my knowledge of social psychology techniques such as confirming expectations and correspondent inferences to avoid thoughts or actions that could be interpreted as a sign of prejudice, discrimination, or aggression to anyone regardless of gender, culture, or social status.

I resolved to spread peace and joy to everyone with a smile, a kind word or gesture, or a good thought. It was tough, but I learned a lot about myself and others, and at the endless possibilities of carrying these lessons to my future experiences. What is probably most important was that, at the end of the day, I felt good, and I felt like a person who was in full control of every challenge or situation that came my way. There were moments during the day when I felt like exploding and giving up, but I defused the violent feelings within by remembering to smile and say, "Don't worrylet's try again" The personal costs were tremendous, but I feel that the benefits far outweigh them: I kept a friendship intact, I avoided a big scene that would have humiliated someone, and I helped another whom I knew was having serious problems at home from falling into despair and lashing out at others.

Perhaps the most difficult part of the day was seeing violent actions in others, or being on the receiving end of acts of aggression. There were times I thought I was totally justified to match violence with violence, but the more I experienced personal victory, the more I was encouraged and reinforced in my determination. When my friends noticed my change of behavior, I even managed to persuade them to help me, and the encouragement they gave was overwhelming! They helped, and I was glad, because some of us rediscovered what our friendship was really all about - shared interests, common hopes and dreams.

Living peacefully felt good, and I only hope that each day of the rest of my life would be like it.