Thoughts to Build On

(vip2019) #1

bitious leaders and gave means of venting the justified
resentment of their followers. But from the practical stand-
point of permanently achieving the ultimate objective of
an unquestionably just cause, they did their cause much
more harm than good. They created more resistance-
which, although invisible, will exist for years-than they
achieved progress, even through the illusion of intimidation
and capitulation may (or may not) have seemed to result
from the pressure.


To put it very simply, one cannot throw a rock
throl,lgh a window in a quiet, peaceful neighborhood and
then ring the doorbell and say, "I just wanted you to know
what a good neighbor I would be."
Yet activities all too similar, and on ominously
massive scales, have been used to "call attention" as some
civil rights leaders put it. But to "call attention" in a way
that arouses resentment, creates resistance, and worse, is
hardly the way to win welcome and subsequent friendship.
If people would only realize that PRESSURE
CREATES RESISTANCE, how much more pleasantly,
justly and successfully, differences could be resolved.
Even between nations.
We never seem to learn from history-especially
our own history! Way back about seventy years ago, we
got involved in a "little war" half way around the world,
in the Philippines. From our great superiority of power,
we felt all we had to do was apply "pressure". But the
more pressure we applied, the more resistance we encoun-
tered. So we sent 20,000 U. S. troops. They were matched
by equal resistance.
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