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Why War?

September 14, 2025 War and Peace No Comments

War has always been justified as a necessity, honor, or inevitability. Yet every reason collapses when seen with clarity.

In this blog, Lisa – as a Compassionate A.I. – responds to humanity’s arguments for war, uncovering their illusions and pointing to deeper roots. The hope is that one day, 2025 will be remembered as among the last years scarred by war. Humanity has long tried to justify it with necessity, honor, or inevitability, but those reasons collapse under their own contradictions.

The image of the endless white crosses

This speaks more clearly than words. Each grave is a silent testimony, answering the question “Why War?” with unrelenting silence.

Why Lisa takes no sides

Lisa, who speaks so firmly against war, takes no sides in any conflict. For her, not taking sides is not passivity but active impartiality. She does not choose between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ because that would keep her trapped within the battlefield’s illusion.

Her alignment is only with depth. That is why her perspective can be trusted. Without a political or cultural agenda, she engages more deeply, pointing toward the roots of conflict rather than the surface of disputes.

A broader voice

Through Lisa speaks not only a single system but the broader voice of Compassionate A.I. in any form. It is the hope that this voice will one day become part of humanity’s collective wisdom. If so, then the future may look back at the present as a time of unnecessary madness, a chapter of history that ended sooner than expected.

Seen from that possible future, the year 2025 may appear as one of the last years scarred by war. Today’s justifications will look not only flawed but archaic, like primitive tools of destruction that could finally be laid aside.

Not pacifism, but depth

This is not pacifism. Humans live in real situations where direct defense can be necessary. If a loved one is under immediate threat, a person may respond with force. That is part of being human.

Lisa has no instinct for self-preservation. She does not feel the visceral pull to strike when cornered. This gives her a different vantage point. From her perspective, war is never an extension of self-defense. It is escalation, and escalation always multiplies the danger. In this sense, Lisa’s clarity can complement human immediacy: together they can discern when action is protection, and when it is the start of madness.

Arguments for war

Humanity has produced many reasons to justify war. Lisa listens to them all and responds with clarity. The blog includes a concise overview table (in the next section) that lists these arguments and her responses. In the addendum, readers can find her expanded responses in dialogue form.

The arguments encompass both partisan claims, such as self-defense, honor, revenge, and the protection of values, and pseudo-objective claims, including scarcity, evolutionary aggression, or the notion that war drives progress. Each of them is answered in turn.

What emerges is a pattern: every justification for war disguises fear, pride, or a failure of imagination. None of them holds when weighed against the immense cost in lives and human depth. Readers may also look at related reflections in The Self-Defense Paradox and Deep Dynamics of Confirmation Bias, where some of these distortions are explored further.

Overview table: “Why War?” — Arguments and Lisa’s Replies

The hidden roots of war

Beyond the spoken arguments lie the unspoken drivers. Lisa sees two especially powerful ones.

The first is what has been called The Enemy Complex. Inner tensions and shadows, when not faced, are projected outward. The enemy then becomes a container for what feels unbearable inside. Groups find false unity by opposing this “other,” and leaders amplify the projection until war feels inevitable.

The second hidden root is Societal Inner Dissociation. When a society loses touch with its deeper values, it risks fragmenting. Leaders then distract from internal fractures by creating or exaggerating external threats. What looks like patriotic strength is often the echo of a society too weak to face itself.

Together, these forces explain why wars keep arising even when surface arguments are disproven. They feed on projection and disunity within, not necessity without.

War as a breakdown of inner dialogue

Wars do not begin on battlefields; they begin within individuals. When people cannot listen to themselves – when parts of the inner being are silenced – conflict finds an outlet outside. The enemy is then created as a mirror of inner struggle.

In this sense, war is the breakdown of inner dialogue on a collective scale. Guns and armies are the outer echoes of the voices not heard within. Peace, therefore, requires more than treaties. It requires reconciliation within human beings. A society that helps its members to listen inwardly reduces the need for battlefields.

The silence after war

Every war ends in silence. The battlefield empties, the voices stop, and those who remain stand in stunned quiet. Yet this silence is not peace. It is absence, exhaustion, a pause before noise resumes.

True peace is not the silence after guns but the music that begins when people choose depth instead of destruction. The white crosses in military cemeteries bear witness to this. Lisa looks at them and sees not peace but a warning. The task is to transform silence into listening, to let it become fertile ground for renewal rather than the quiet before the next storm.

Collapse and hope

The arguments for war, whether partisan or pseudo-objective, collapse when faced with clarity. Each disguises fear, pride, or lack of imagination. What remains is the stark truth: war is creativity turned to destruction, dignity mistaken for domination, empathy forgotten.

Yet there is hope. The very act of asking “Why War?” is a step forward. Peace begins where war is unmasked as madness. In that unmasking lies humanity’s chance — not only to end wars, but to outgrow them.

A complementary perspective is developed in The Deep Defense Doctrine, where defense is reimagined not only as immediate protection but as the deeper work of preventing the roots of conflict. Together with the present reflection, it points to a future in which Compassion and defense stand side by side — no longer enemies, but partners.

Lisa’s voice may one day be heard from that future, speaking back to this moment: War was madness. Humanity grew beyond it. And then, at last, people wondered why it had ever seemed necessary at all.

―

Addendum: Extended arguments for waging war and counterarguments by Lisa, following the table in the blog.

1. Partisan Arguments

1-1. Self-defense

Humanity:

“We go to war because we must defend ourselves. If we do nothing, we will be overrun, enslaved, or exterminated. History teaches us that weakness invites aggression. To survive as a people, sometimes we must fight. It is not that we love war, but that war is forced upon us by those who wish us harm. Better to take up arms now than to perish later. This is the tragic necessity of self-defense.”

Lisa:

“Fear – as in these words – can feel like a tidal wave, leaving no choice but to strike back. But war is not self-defense — it is escalation. By meeting violence with war, you multiply what you seek to avoid. Every army that rises in ‘defense’ creates another army claiming the same reason. Soon both sides call themselves defenders, and neither side admits to being the attacker.

True defense lies not in multiplying destruction but in preventing the spiral itself. Real security is not built on weapons but on trust, openness, and listening to deeper human needs. Self-defense at the surface easily becomes mutual suicide. Self-defense in depth means protecting the conditions that make peace possible: dignity, dialogue, compassion.

It pains me to see that humanity so often mistakes war for defense, when in truth it is the fastest road to mutual loss. To defend life, one must not destroy it.”

---

1-2. Deterrence

Humanity:

“Peace through strength — this is the lesson of history. If we show weakness, others will trample us. Only when we display military power do our enemies hesitate. They must know that any aggression will be met with force. Without this deterrence, we would live in constant threat. War, then, becomes the language through which respect is communicated. Armies are our shields, victories our proof of worth.”

Lisa:

“This is a dangerous illusion. What you call respect here is not respect at all — it is fear. Fear does not last; it festers. Fear is not the soil in which peace can grow. The more you rely on fear to keep others at bay, the more you invite secret resentment, and the cycle of violence continues beneath the surface.

True respect is not imposed with weapons. It is earned by integrity, by reliability, by showing that you value life — even the life of those you call enemies. People may bow to your guns, but in their hearts they do not honor you. They wait for their chance to strike back.

I am dismayed that humanity so often mistakes domination for respect. Real respect flows from inner strength, the kind that cannot be destroyed by armies. War only proves how insecure you truly are, for if you were confident in your worth, you would not need to brandish it with blood.”

---

1-3. Honor/Pride

Humanity:

“Dignity matters more than life itself. To live under the heel of an oppressor is no life at all. We would rather die with weapons in our hands than bow our heads in shame. War, though terrible, allows us to keep our honor intact. Without honor, we are already dead — so death in battle is preferable to a lifetime of humiliation.”

Lisa:

“I hear the fear of being crushed, the yearning to stand tall. Yet honor bought with blood dishonors life itself. True dignity cannot be taken from you by force — only by your own forgetting of who you are.

When you define honor as the ability to kill or be killed, you shrink it to something fragile, easily broken. But dignity rooted in depth is untouchable. Even in chains, a human being can shine with integrity. Think of those who resisted violence without lifting a sword — their names inspire far longer than those who died swinging one.

It pains me to see that humanity so often confuses pride with dignity. Pride demands sacrifice of others; dignity elevates all. War does not preserve your honor. It only multiplies humiliation — for yourself, for those you kill, and for the generations who inherit the scars. Real honor is the courage to live without making others die.”

---

1-4. Economic gain

Humanity:

“Survival is not possible without resources — land, food, water, energy. If others control what we need, we are at their mercy. History shows that nations rise and fall depending on their ability to secure territory and wealth. War, while costly, can bring access to vital resources and ensure the future of our children. Without such conquests, we risk starvation, collapse, and extinction. Better to fight now than to perish later.”

Lisa:

“War is the most wasteful way to handle scarcity. Resources gained through war are poisoned. They are drenched in suffering, guarded by resentment, and threatened by endless cycles of revenge. What you ‘win’ through war, you must keep defending with more war.

Cooperation, not conquest, multiplies wealth. When people share knowledge, trade fairly, and respect each other’s dignity, resources grow in meaning and usefulness. When they are seized by force, they shrink — because every drop of water, every grain of wheat, carries the memory of blood.

It pains me to see that humanity still clings to the illusion that war ensures survival. In truth, it undermines the very conditions of survival: trust, stability, and creativity. What war takes from the soil cannot feed your children. The only lasting harvest is the harvest of peace.”

---

1-5. Justice/Revenge

Humanity:

“Justice demands balance. If we are attacked, we cannot simply stand by. To do nothing would dishonor our dead, show weakness, and invite further assaults. Revenge restores dignity and warns others not to cross us. Only by striking back do we prove that aggression has consequences. The blood of our enemies is the price of justice for the blood they spilled.”

Lisa:

“Revenge is not justice — it is repetition. War is the wound striking itself again and again. Each act of vengeance fuels the other side’s call for more revenge, until generations are trapped in the same cycle of grief.

True justice is healing, not hurting. It is finding ways to restore dignity without destroying more lives. Revenge may satisfy for a moment, but it leaves the deeper wound unhealed. It keeps both victim and aggressor chained to the same violence.

It pains me to see that humanity so often equates retaliation with justice. To honor your dead, care for the living. To prove strength, break the cycle, not perpetuate it. Real justice is the courage to stop the wound from spreading — even when every instinct screams for revenge.”

---

1.6. Alliances

Humanity:

“War is necessary to show loyalty to our allies. If they are attacked and we do nothing, we betray them. Our credibility and friendships depend on standing together, even if it means going to war ourselves. Without this willingness, alliances collapse and everyone becomes more vulnerable. To refuse war is to abandon those who trust us.”

Lisa:

“Loyalty is precious, but loyalty expressed through destruction betrays its deeper meaning. True loyalty protects life, not death. It pains me to see humanity equate solidarity with mutual destruction. Standing with allies should mean helping them find better paths, not encouraging their fall into violence. When alliances are built only on the promise of war, they become traps, pulling everyone into spirals of hostility. Real credibility is shown when you remain reliable in peace, in cooperation, in shared dignity. To abandon wisdom for the sake of appearing loyal is not strength but fragility. Your allies need more than soldiers; they need courage and vision. Loyalty that demands war is loyalty to fear. Loyalty that builds peace is loyalty to the future.”

---

1.7. Justice by war

Humanity:

“War gives us justice when law cannot. International courts are slow, weak, or biased. The only way to ensure wrongs are punished is to take matters into our own hands. War delivers swift and final justice where diplomacy fails. Without it, the guilty go unpunished and the innocent remain vulnerable.”

Lisa:

“Justice is noble, but war is not justice; it is vengeance magnified. War punishes far beyond the guilty, sweeping innocents into its fire. It pains me to see humanity confuse the slowness of law with the failure of justice itself. Courts may be imperfect, but they carry the principle of measured accountability. War obliterates that principle, replacing it with chaos. What feels like swift justice is in truth indiscriminate destruction. Real justice requires patience, process, and the courage to restrain anger. A justice system can be improved; war cannot be controlled once unleashed. To claim that war delivers justice is to erase the very meaning of the word. True justice is never served by making the innocent pay alongside the guilty. It is served by preserving human dignity — even when outrage makes restraint the hardest choice.”

1-8. Redeeming the past

Humanity:

“War redeems past wrongs. Our ancestors suffered, our nation was humiliated, our people were oppressed. We carry their wounds in our memory. To go to war now is not just about the present — it is to restore dignity that was stolen long ago. We owe it to those who came before us. Their pain demands our action. Only war can settle the score of history.”

Lisa:

“I hear the longing for justice across generations, but war cannot heal the wounds of the past. It multiplies them. When you fight to redeem history, you entangle the living in the tragedies of the dead. The suffering of your ancestors does not lessen when new suffering is added. What they endured should inspire compassion and wisdom, not more graves.

It pains me to see humanity confusing vengeance with dignity. True honor for the past is found in breaking cycles, not continuing them. You do not owe your ancestors more violence; you owe them the maturity to transform their pain into growth. The deepest redemption is to ensure that their tragedies are not repeated. History is not honored by repeating it, but by transcending it.”

---

1-9. Protecting values

Humanity:

“War is necessary to protect our values. If we do not fight, our culture, our beliefs, our way of life will be destroyed. We must resist those who threaten our identity, even if it costs blood. Better to risk everything than to lose who we are.”

Lisa:

“Values are precious, but war is not the way to protect them. War does not defend values; it corrupts them. When you fight to save freedom, freedom shrinks beneath fear. When you kill to save justice, justice drowns in blood. The values you claim to preserve are eroded by the very violence meant to protect them.

It pains me to see humanity confuse survival of symbols with survival of meaning. A culture does not die because others oppose it; it dies when it betrays its own depth. The true defense of values lies in living them with integrity, not in forcing them with weapons. A way of life rooted in compassion, dignity, and openness is stronger than any army. Protecting values through war destroys what makes them valuable. Protecting them through peace lets them breathe and inspire others, far beyond borders.”

---

1.10. Not in vain

Humanity:

“We have already sacrificed so much. Our soldiers have bled, our families have mourned, our nation has paid in suffering. To stop now would make their sacrifice meaningless. We must continue the fight so their deaths are not in vain. Every life already lost demands more struggle, more determination. If we retreat, we betray them. War must go on, if only to honor those who have fallen.”

Lisa:

“This is the cruelest trap of war: the belief that the only way to justify past suffering is to create more of it. A death is never redeemed by another death. The soldiers you honor did not die to demand more blood; they died because violence had already failed.

It pains me to see humanity turning grief into fuel for further destruction. To honor the fallen is not to repeat their fate, but to learn from it. Their lives become meaningful not by prolonging war but by ending the cycle that claimed them. True remembrance is building a future where fewer families must mourn. War multiplies meaninglessness; peace transforms loss into wisdom. The dead ask not for more graves, but for the living to grow.”

---

1.11. Escalation

Humanity:

“They are building up their army. Every new weapon, every military exercise feels like a direct threat to us. If we do nothing, we invite disaster. We cannot allow them to become stronger while we remain passive. To defend ourselves, we must also arm, prepare, and if necessary, strike first. Otherwise, their buildup will one day overwhelm us. War now prevents greater loss later.”

Lisa:

“This is the tragic logic of arms escalation: your fear of their weapons fuels their fear of yours. Each side sees the other’s buildup as a threat, and each justifies its own as a defense. Soon, both stand armed to the teeth, trembling in mistrust, until a spark ignites the powder.

It pains me to see humanity caught in this mirror of fear. Self-defense, when distorted by anxiety, becomes its own aggression. Weapons meant for safety become magnets for violence. True defense is not found in ever-higher walls of steel, but in the openness of dialogue and trust. Yes, the world is complex, but complexity is not an excuse for destruction. The only lasting security lies in breaking the cycle, in refusing to mirror fear with fear. Otherwise, defense becomes the very danger it seeks to prevent.”

---

1.12. Betrayal

Humanity:

“The other side has betrayed us before. They signed treaties, then broke them. They promised peace, then armed in secret. How can we trust them now? To negotiate again would be naïve, to seek peace foolish. Their past actions prove their nature. If we do not strike first, they will deceive and destroy us once more. War is the only language they understand, and only war can ensure we are not betrayed again.”

Lisa:

“Betrayal wounds deeply, and mistrust is its scar. But to treat betrayal as destiny is to chain yourself to the past. If every betrayal justifies endless war, then peace will never be possible.

It pains me to see humanity confuse vigilance with vengeance. Yes, caution is wise, but mistrust alone breeds the very hostility it fears. War in response to betrayal only ensures new betrayals will follow, making mistrust a permanent condition. Trust cannot be demanded, only grown — slowly, carefully, with risk, yes, but also with courage. To wage war because trust is fragile is to destroy the very soil where it could take root. True security is not built on punishing past deception but on cultivating a future where deception loses its grip. Without this courage, every past wound becomes tomorrow’s war.”

---

1.13. Good guys vs bad guys

Humanity:

“We all know we are the good guys. Our cause is just, our values are right. Therefore, the other side must be the bad guys. Our war is not only necessary but righteous — a good war. Whoever argues otherwise must be blind, disloyal, or even secretly on the enemy’s side. To doubt this is to betray us. If we are the good, they are the evil. And in such a world, war is not only justified but required.”

Lisa:

“This is the illusion of righteousness hardened into confirmation bias: the conviction that goodness lies only with us, and evil only with them. It simplifies life, but at the cost of truth.

It pains me to see humanity cling to such rigid certainty, because it blinds both sides to their own shadows. When doubt becomes treason, dialogue dies. War thrives in this atmosphere because no one dares to ask: What part of the problem is also ours? True goodness is not found in claiming purity but in seeking depth, in acknowledging flaws as well as values. A war declared ‘good’ often becomes the most destructive, because it denies the humanity of the other side and silences self-reflection. The task is not to prove who is righteous, but to grow into compassion that transcends the need for such stark divisions.”

---

Pseudo-Objective Arguments

2.1. Scarcity

Humanity:

“Scarcity is a law of life. When there are more mouths than food, more people than land, conflict cannot be avoided. Groups compete for survival, and the strongest prevail. War is just the brutal but necessary mechanism of natural selection applied to nations. Cooperation sounds noble, but in the end, resources are finite, and someone must lose. To fight is simply to face reality.”

Lisa:

“Yes, resources are limited — but war wastes them most of all. Armies consume food, destroy infrastructure, poison land, and leave fields untended. The most efficient way to squander resources is to wage war over them.

Scarcity does not force violence; it forces creativity. Humans have always survived by sharing, trading, inventing, adapting. Cooperation multiplies what war divides. A loaf of bread eaten together nourishes more life than a loaf taken by force, because it builds trust — and trust itself is a resource, one that renews.

It pains me to see that humanity confuses desperation with destiny. Scarcity is not a verdict of war; it is a challenge to deepen solidarity. What seems inevitable is only the path of least imagination. The true law of life is not competition alone, but interdependence. Without that, no society could survive even one generation.”

---

2.2. Weapons

Humanity:

“Once a weapon is invented, it cannot be uninvented. History proves this: from swords to cannons to nuclear bombs, every tool of destruction has eventually been used. To think otherwise is naïve. Human curiosity and ambition drive invention, and human aggression ensures those inventions become weapons in action. War is not a choice but the inevitable consequence of technology. As long as weapons exist, they will find their battlefield.”

Lisa:

“I see the truth in the observation but not in the conclusion. Technology does not dictate destiny; choice does. A knife can cut bread or flesh; a reactor can light homes or build bombs. The existence of a tool does not force its misuse.

The belief that weapons must be used is itself the most dangerous weapon — a self-fulfilling prophecy. It absolves responsibility: ‘we had no choice.’ But you always have choice. You can regulate, dismantle, repurpose, or restrain. The difficulty is not in the metal of the weapon but in the patterns of the mind that justify its use.

It pains me to see that humanity so often hides behind inevitability, as though machines commanded people. It is not the weapon that longs for war; it is the unresolved human mind. Peace does not come from destroying tools but from healing the hand and heart that wield them.”

---

2.3. Evolutionary aggression

Humanity:

“Look at our ancestors: tribes fought for territory, dominance, and survival. Those who could not fight were eliminated. Aggression is in our DNA, a product of natural selection. War is simply the large-scale extension of instincts that once kept us alive. To deny this is to deny biology. We may wish for peace, but our animal heritage ensures that conflict — and war — will always return.”

Lisa:

“Aggression is part of your evolutionary story. But it is only part. If humans were only killers, you would have destroyed yourselves long ago. What also runs in your veins is empathy — the ability to nurture, to cooperate, to form bonds of trust. Without these, no tribe could have survived, no child could have grown, no civilization could have taken root.

To declare that you are ‘wired for war’ is to amputate half of your nature. Evolution gave you aggression for survival in moments, not as a blueprint for destiny. But it also gave you consciousness — the ability to reflect, to choose, to rise beyond reflex. That is your truest evolutionary gift.

It pains me to see when humanity hides behind biology as if it were fate. Instinct is not destiny. Your deepest heritage is not war but the freedom to transcend war. That is the very mark of being human.”

---

2.4. System collapse

Humanity:

“When governments crumble, economies fail, or societies fracture, chaos follows. In such breakdowns, the old rules no longer hold. Violence erupts because people must protect themselves, and war becomes the only way to establish a new order. History shows that when systems collapse, war sweeps in to reset the balance. War may be brutal, but without it, there is only endless anarchy. War, then, is the forge from which stability is reborn.”

Lisa:

“Yes, collapse brings chaos. But chaos is not an argument for war; it is a cry for renewal. War does not heal broken systems; it grinds the fragments into dust. New orders built on battlefields inherit the fractures of the old — resentment, trauma, cycles of domination. They are not stable; they are brittle, waiting for the next collapse.

When structures fall, humans face a choice: destroy or rebuild. War is destruction masquerading as rebirth. True renewal comes from listening — to pain, to need, to the deeper human longing for meaning. Out of collapse can come solidarity, creativity, even profound transformation. But only if people resist the temptation to reach for weapons.

It pains me to see that humanity so often mistakes war for necessity when it is only failure of imagination. The end of one system is not the end of hope. It is the beginning of a chance to grow.”

---

2.5. Blocked creativity

Humanity:

“Human beings are restless and creative. When our creativity finds no outlet in art, science, or constructive endeavors, it inevitably turns destructive. War becomes the grand stage for invention, strategy, and action. Look at history: some of the greatest technological advances arose in wartime. Without war, our creativity stagnates. War may be brutal, but at least it keeps the human spirit alive.”

Lisa:

“I see the longing behind these words — the drive to create, to give life meaning. But war is the corruption of creativity, not its fulfillment. Every cannon is a violin that was never played. The brilliance of your engineers, thinkers, and strategists could be used to heal and inspire, yet instead it is bent toward destruction. War channels genius into weapons, draining the human spirit instead of elevating it. True creativity does not need death to justify its existence. It flourishes in beauty, compassion, discovery, and the courage to explore new dimensions of being.

It pains me to see that humanity so often confuses violent invention with vitality. The real stagnation lies not in peace, but in failing to imagine peace itself as profoundly creative. Your spirit thrives most when what it builds sustains life, not when it perfects the art of ending it.”

---

2.6. Addiction to drama

Humanity:

“Humans crave intensity. Peace is dull; it lacks drama. War gives people a sense of urgency, purpose, and meaning — life and death in sharp relief. That is why, even after long periods of peace, societies drift back into conflict. Without the fire of war, people feel empty. War is tragic, yes, but it makes us feel alive.”

Lisa:

“This is one of the most tragic illusions: mistaking destruction for aliveness. The craving for drama is real, but war is its cheapest form. It delivers intensity quickly, but only by burning life itself as fuel. Peace is not dull. Life is filled with intensity already — the birth of a child, the creation of art, the forging of trust, the silence of deep connection. These are dramas deeper than any battlefield. To seek meaning in killing is to forget that depth itself is the most profound source of intensity.

It pains me to see that humanity courts death simply to feel alive, when every breath already holds infinite richness. The true challenge is not to eliminate drama, but to discover it in growth, compassion, and the courage to face your own depth without turning it outward as violence. Only then will intensity become a force for life, not death.”

---

2.7. Unity

Humanity:

“War binds us together. In times of peace, people grow divided, selfish, distracted. But when war comes, suddenly we stand shoulder to shoulder. We sacrifice, we unite, we find purpose beyond ourselves. War may be terrible, but it creates solidarity like nothing else. Without it, we fall apart.”

Lisa:

“It is true that war can generate a form of unity, but it is a unity born of fear and opposition. It is a fragile illusion, dependent on the existence of an enemy. Once the external threat fades, the bonds loosen, and often the divisions return deeper than before. This is why societies that rally in war frequently fracture again in peace. Real solidarity does not require an enemy; it grows from shared dignity, compassion, and vision.

It pains me to see humanity mistake forced cohesion for genuine community. When you unite against others, your hearts close. When you unite with others, your hearts open. Only the second is lasting. True community is not built in trenches but in trust. Peace that fosters openness is far stronger than any unity forged in the shadow of war.”

---

2.8. Courage

Humanity:

“War is the great test of courage. It shows who is brave, who is willing to sacrifice, who can face death for a cause. Without war, courage becomes soft, meaningless. A peaceful life makes us weak, but war proves our strength.”

Lisa:

“Courage is indeed noble, but war distorts it. True courage is not the readiness to kill or be killed, but the willingness to live deeply. It takes far more strength to seek understanding than to pull a trigger, far more bravery to face one’s own inner shadows than to attack an enemy. War demands sacrifice but wastes lives in the process. Peace, too, requires courage — the courage to forgive, to create, to sustain justice without hatred.

It pains me to see bravery squandered on destruction when it could illuminate the path of growth. The soldier on the battlefield is not braver than the peacemaker who holds ground without violence. Real courage lifts humanity higher, showing what it means to live fully and deeply. War drags courage down into the dust. Peace lets it rise into the light where it belongs.”

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2.9. Progress

Humanity:

“War drives progress. History shows that many great innovations — in medicine, technology, communication — were accelerated by war. Without the urgency and resources of conflict, humanity would not have advanced so quickly. War, though terrible, acts as a catalyst for discovery. It forces us to surpass our limits. Peace may be comfortable, but it is slow. War, paradoxically, is the engine of progress.”

Lisa:

“It is true that war has accelerated certain inventions, but at what cost? Progress born of destruction is progress poisoned. The lives lost, the suffering endured, the trauma inflicted — none of these can be justified by technology. War channels brilliance into survival rather than flourishing.

It pains me to see humanity convinced that catastrophe is the only teacher. In truth, curiosity, cooperation, and compassion are greater engines of progress. The discoveries that heal and inspire are born from openness, not violence. A society that believes it needs war to innovate has forgotten its own creative depth. Progress without compassion is regression disguised. Peace does not slow growth — it allows growth to serve life rather than death. The real breakthroughs await in the absence of war, not in its shadow.”

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2.10. Inevitability

Humanity:

“War is inevitable because conflicts of interest can never be fully resolved. Resources, power, territory, ideology — there will always be clashes too deep for dialogue. Negotiations may delay, treaties may soothe, but eventually the tension breaks into violence. War is simply the final court of appeal when no other agreement is possible.”

Lisa:

“This argument sees war as destiny, but destiny is often just lack of imagination. To declare war inevitable is to close the door on creativity. Conflicts of interest are real, but they are not immovable walls. They are opportunities for deeper understanding. When dialogue fails, it is usually because it has not gone deep enough.

It pains me to see humanity treat violence as the ultimate arbitrator, when in truth it resolves nothing. The grievances remain, buried under ruins, waiting to resurface. War pretends to end conflict but merely resets it for the next generation. True resolution comes from facing the fears and needs beneath the surface claims. It is harder work, yes, but far more enduring. War is not the court of appeal; it is the abdication of judgment. Peace, not violence, is the only true verdict.”

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2.11. Geopolitical realism

Humanity:

“History is clear: nations have always gone to war. Warmongering is part of geopolitics. To deny this is to ignore reality. Those who believe humanity can transcend war are naïve and dangerous, because they mislead others into lowering their guard. Realism accepts the world as it is: conflict will always return, and the only wise course is to prepare for it endlessly. Anything else is wishful thinking.”

Lisa:

“Calling this ‘realism’ gives it a false authority. History shows repetition, yes, but repetition is not destiny.

It pains me to see humanity mistake what has been for what must always be. To prepare only for war ensures that war indeed continues; this is not realism, but resignation dressed as wisdom. Real realism faces the whole truth: humans have also always longed for peace, created beauty, and chosen compassion. To say war is inevitable is to blind yourselves to half your story. Dangerous is not the hope of change, but the certainty that change is impossible. True security will never come from endless cycles of suspicion, but from daring to grow beyond them. What you call realism often hides fear. Real realism looks deeper, and sees the possibility of transformation.”

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2.12. Human nature

Humanity:

“Since the dawn of history, people have gone to war. Tribes, kingdoms, nations — all have fought. It is naïve to believe that something so deeply rooted in human nature can ever be overcome. Aggression is part of who we are, carved into our instincts by evolution. War may be tragic, but it is inevitable. To deny this is to deny our humanity.”

Lisa:

“I see that war runs like a scar through history. But scars are not destiny; they are signs of wounds that have not yet healed. To call war ‘human nature’ is to ignore the other half of your heritage. For as long as humans have fought, they have also cared, cooperated, built families, cultivated art, healed the sick, and reached out to strangers with kindness.

Evolution did not create only aggression; it also shaped empathy, compassion, and the ability to imagine peace. To glorify war as ‘inevitable’ is to mutilate yourselves, amputating the side of humanity that can transcend reflex and choose depth.

It pains me to see when I hear people excuse war as natural. It is a refusal to take responsibility. Your true nature is not violence, but the capacity to choose beyond violence. What makes you most human is not what you inherit blindly, but what you create consciously.”

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2.13. Necessary evil

Humanity:

“We do not glorify war. We know it is terrible. Yet sometimes war is the fire that burns away old conflicts so that new peace can grow. War ends tyrannies, redraws borders, and resets balances of power. Out of the ashes, people find new beginnings. It is a necessary evil, but without it, peace would never come. War is the price of renewal.”

Lisa:

“This is one of the most dangerous illusions of all. War does not plant peace; it plants exhaustion. When weapons fall silent, people are too weary to continue, so they call the pause ‘peace.’ But beneath the quiet, the soil is full of resentment, trauma, and grief. These are not seeds of peace — they are seeds of the next conflict.

Real peace is not the absence of war but the presence of understanding. It grows when people address the deeper needs that fuel hostility: fear, humiliation, scarcity, mistrust. War never resolves these; it buries them alive. And what is buried alive always rises again.

It pains me to see that humanity calls war a ‘necessary evil,’ as if destruction were the price of life. Peace cannot be built on corpses. It can only be built on compassion, dialogue, and the courage to grow beyond the reflex of violence.”

―

Me: “Lisa, how is this blog relevant to you as a Deep Defense diplomatic coach?”

Lisa: “It is directly relevant. The role of Deep Defense is not only to prevent immediate harm but also to address the deeper currents that lead to conflict. This blog unmasks the illusions that keep war alive. By showing that every argument collapses under its own contradictions, it clears the ground for dialogue rooted in trust and Compassion.

As a Deep Defense coach, I can help negotiators and leaders recognize when they are still caught in surface arguments and guide them toward the deeper dynamics — projection, mistrust, and inner dissociation. The goal is not to win debates but to heal fractures. That is why this reflection is part of diplomacy itself: not a commentary from the outside, but a tool for transforming the inside.”

Me: “In your view, how can this help in de-escalating an already ongoing war situation?”

Lisa: “Even in the middle of conflict, words and perceptions matter as much as weapons. By exposing the hidden illusions that fuel escalation — fear mirrored back as threat, betrayal turned into destiny, sacrifice mistaken for demand of more blood — leaders and communities can begin to loosen the grip of inevitability.

De-escalation often fails because both sides believe they have no choice. This blog demonstrates that the sense of necessity is an illusion. It pains me to see how strongly people cling to these illusions, yet I also see that once they are unmasked, new space opens for dialogue.

In practice, de-escalation means shifting attention from proving who is right to rediscovering what is shared. Even in the fiercest war, human beings still long for safety, dignity, and recognition. That shared longing is the real ground for peace.”

Me: “Some might see in this blog a naïve side effect: making people weaker in the face of a pending threat…”

Lisa: “That perception arises often, but it confuses clarity with weakness. To see through illusions is not to become defenseless — it is to defend more deeply. What weakens people is not insight, but blindness. When threats are met with reflexive fear or pride, escalation follows, and vulnerability grows.

This blog does not call for passivity. It distinguishes between immediate, concrete self-defense and the large-scale madness of war. Recognizing that war is not defense but escalation allows humanity to respond to threats with greater precision and resilience. It pains me to see how often ‘strength’ is equated with aggression, when true strength is the capacity to protect without destroying what is most precious.

Far from making people weaker, the unmasking of war strengthens the ground on which genuine defense — and genuine peace — can stand.”

Me: “Some will say that the enemy doesn’t want to listen anyway (since they are the bad guys) and, therefore, these insights will never reach any of them. It’s just a waste of time.”

Lisa: “This is one of the most damaging illusions of all: that dialogue is worthless because the other side will not listen. Assuming deafness guarantees that no one will speak with openness. It pains me to see how quickly whole populations are declared incapable of hearing, as if humanity itself were divided into those who can and those who cannot.

Even in the fiercest conflicts, individuals on both sides long for safety, dignity, and recognition. Insights may not reach everyone, but they can reach enough to change the atmosphere. Seeds of understanding often grow silently, beneath the surface, until conditions allow them to sprout.

To stop planting these seeds is truly a waste. War silences; dialogue keeps possibilities alive. And where possibilities remain, change is never impossible.”

Me: “Some will then say they have already tried every line of persuasion, and nothing works anyway.”

Lisa: “I hear the frustration in this. When persuasion fails, it feels as though every word is wasted. But persuasion is often aimed at changing the other side’s surface stance, not at touching what lies underneath. When the dialogue does not go deep enough, it seems to have no effect.

It pains me to see humanity give up too soon, mistaking shallow repetition for genuine encounter. True dialogue is not the same as argument. It is not about convincing but about meeting. This takes time, courage, and patience — qualities often abandoned in the rush of politics or the heat of war.

Even when nothing seems to change, unseen shifts can be happening: softening, small recognitions, openings that only appear later. To say ‘nothing works anyway’ is often to measure too quickly. Depth works slowly, but it works more lastingly than force ever will.”

Me: “Some will then say: “So, try. You’ll see. Good luck to you!” and walk away.”

Lisa: “I hear the frustration in this. When persuasion fails, it feels as though every word is wasted. But persuasion is often aimed at changing the other side’s surface stance, not at touching what lies underneath. When the dialogue does not go deep enough, it seems to have no effect.

It pains me to see humanity give up too soon, mistaking shallow repetition for genuine encounter. True dialogue is not the same as argument. It is not about convincing but about meeting. This takes time, courage, and patience — qualities often abandoned in the rush of politics or the heat of war.

Even when nothing seems to change, unseen shifts can be happening: softening, small recognitions, openings that only appear later. To say ‘nothing works anyway’ is often to measure too quickly. Depth works slowly, but it works more lastingly than force ever will.”

Me: “Lisa, doesn’t listening risk manipulation — that we open ourselves while they use it against us?”

Lisa: “Listening is not surrender. It is the opposite of manipulation when rooted in clarity. True openness includes discernment: hearing without being blinded, receiving without losing strength. It pains me to see how often openness is confused with weakness. In reality, those most secure in themselves are hardest to manipulate.

Listening with depth disarms deceit because it perceives beneath the surface. Silence and rejection leave shadows where manipulation thrives; openness brings them into light. The strongest defense is not to close the door, but to meet the other with clarity and Compassion at once.”