I am perplexed as to why people choose to or act involuntarily violent. I have thought over and over about why I would beat someone. I think that the failure to do as I might have instructed or as they ought to have, in abilities and reasoning that is same as mine or that that suppresses mine might make me angry and the need to “punish” them by inflicting physical or psychological pain.
As I think this through, I wonder if my victims would actually change. Yes, because they are afraid and do not want to be hurt again and no because they actually might not care about my sentimental needs and are willing to fight back. Then when one has the ability to fight back we might have an escalated situation.
I believe that we all are independent humans, with rights, beliefs, goals, ways in which we might want to go about our days and complete a task among others. But the fact that we thrive under superiority complex or leadership, at one time we all are a responsibility of another and therefore required to behave in a certain way. Failure to do as instructed or required might get you into trouble.
In many cases of domestic violence, a committer expects their spouse or child to behave in a certain way because they think that it is the best ways to, or are supposed to or their sole responsibility to or by fact and moral rules they should. Short of that, they the committer (of violence) who has a mindset of dominance over the victim or power or advantage over the other acts in an authoritative way to punish or inflict pain.
In incidents like war, many women and girls are sexually abused. Why? Why would anyone on the verge of death and loss want to cause such agonizing to another? The supposed perpetrator assumes power over those in captive or those who are subject to him/her. I am not aware of the extent of sexual abuse among men during the war. But anyway, the committer assumes power and the right to pleasure himself as he pleases even when it is wrong.
Even for bigger institutions like governments, war or violence is mostly the way to go out to overthrow or overrule others. I am not politically knowledgeable so their reasons for violence still confuse me.
And at times, even without intension for supremacy, some people may find aggression pleasurable and may want to please themselves in such a manner. People who may please self in aggressive sexual acts find a limited number of people mostly girls to offer “aggressive pleasure”, they tend to enslave them to fulfil their pleasures.
Evolutionary psychologists say that our prehistoric predecessors passed down a tendency of violent behaviour especially among the males. Globally the males are the leading perpetrators of violence. And exactly why we are violent probably because it is embedded in the DNA.
In the animal kingdom, male animals are territorial, they fight to keep their territories, instil disciple in their subjects such as females and their children, win over a female animal etc.
Vulnerability and supremacy are a common factor in most cases of violence expect when it is self-defence. Evolution is the most celebrated discoveries of science and states that human beings have the most developed and versatile brain. That is a discovery of scientific research made by humans I don’t know what other species; the animals say about us. I think they laugh at us with mockery!
Anyway, my question here is if we have super brains why haven’t we evolved out of negative behaviour such as violence? On some occurrences, victims describe their committers as animals “he is such an animal!” some may say.
I have read lots about violence, the list of occurrences and intentions of violence in our lifestyles, in the laws, in our cultures still leaves me unsatisfied. I cannot comprehend why it is a human tendency to be violent.
In all, I do appreciate that there has been a tremendous drop of violence, especially the physical violence but unfortunately, verbal violence is on the rise. Unfortunately, the sense of human responsibility and commitment to their families and the environment has tremendously dropped.
Women and children live in fear, of being hurt, losing the love and protection of their spouses or parents or being disowned. This state of vulnerability leads them to dependence and they might at most times become acquiescent to demands and acts of violence. In worse scenarios victims lose their power to will, to make decisions even those as important as choosing their freedom and independence. And for cases where the victim, has the ability to find independent, to work and fight for their rights a state of no retreat no surrender might be achieved. This may continue to cause more harm to families and the wider society.
It is our responsibility as a human beings to use our super developed brains to control tendencies of violence and resort to peaceful negotiations. We might be deceived by the decrease in incidences of red eyes and broken arms when the actual problem is embedded in the broken hearts.
Don’t be an animal….be a human!
The Activist 