Breaking the Cycle: Navigating Security Without Becoming What We Fear

There’s a popular saying that goes; “You either die a hero, or live long enough to become the villain” (screenplay character Harvey Dent, played by Aaron Eckhart in Jonathan Nolan’s “The Dark Knight”)

In an increasingly complex world, nations often find themselves caught in a paradoxical pursuit of safety and security. This fear-driven quest, while rooted in the desire for protection, can lead countries down a perilous path. As tensions rise and perceived threats loom, many nations respond by bolstering their defenses, expanding military capabilities, and adopting aggressive stances. However, this approach raises a crucial question: In our fervent attempts to safeguard ourselves, are we inadvertently becoming the very thing we seek to protect against? Just think of the progress that could be made if we prioritized helping those in need as a first step.

The most glaring example of this phenomenon is the perpetual cycle of war and preparation for war. Nations, driven by fear of aggression, invest heavily in military infrastructure, develop increasingly destructive weapons, and engage in provocative displays of power. This arms race, intended to deter conflict, often has the opposite effect – escalating tensions and increasing the likelihood of confrontation. The Cold War era stands as a stark reminder of how the pursuit of security through strength can bring the world to the brink of catastrophe.

Friedrich Nietzsche famously warned, "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster." This profound insight encapsulates the core of our dilemma. When we allow fear to dictate our actions, we risk adopting the very qualities we oppose in our perceived enemies. The line between defender and aggressor blurs, and we may find ourselves justifying actions we once condemned.

From a trauma-informed perspective, this behavior often stems from unresolved collective traumas. Nations, like individuals, can carry deep-seated wounds from past conflicts or perceived threats. These traumas can lead to hypervigilance, reactivity, and a tendency to view the world through a lens of constant danger. Without addressing these underlying issues, societies can become trapped in cycles of fear-based decision-making.These cycles left unchecked can, in extreme cases, flip our behavior from protection to aggression or otherwise inverse from our core values as benevolent, compassionate human beings.

The consequences of this fear-driven approach extend far beyond geopolitics. Internally, societies may sacrifice civil liberties in the name of security, eroding the very freedoms they aim to protect. Economically, resources are diverted from social programs, education, and healthcare to fund defense initiatives. Psychologically, a constant state of alertness and mistrust can lead to collective anxiety, xenophobia, and a diminished capacity for empathy and cooperation.

Shifting away from fear-based security requires a fundamental change in perspective, one that can be achieved if we consider our rights as equal to those of all other people on this planet. From this perspective we can infer valuable insights. I believe underlying the fearful, reactive nature of nations and states, there are the inalienable rights of us all. Not assigned to us for any type of achievement but born with. The more we cultivate our feeling of connection with this level of compassion for our fellow humans the easier it will be to make the following shifts in guiding policy.

1. Strength-based approach: Focus on cultivating societal strengths and resilience rather than solely defending against threats. There are many instances of this approach being mutually beneficial, however almost as many instances of these conditions becoming corrupted by those administering the relationships on behalf of the nations themselves. The challenge seems to be that personal enrichment drives a lot of decision making when there is little oversight.

2. Growth mindset: View challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, rather than existential threats. Defensive posturing creates tension and triggers a fear response from those confronted with these postures. Overcoming the feeling of a need to show force is a great challenge considering threats and potential for unknown threats doing harm.

3. Collaborative security: Emphasize international cooperation, diplomacy, and mutual understanding to create a more stable world. Isolationism is counterproductive to the growth of the human spirit. Trapping populations in a perpetual state of submission. Only by reaching out to people of different cultures with a curious desire to understand and appreciate without judgment can we be truly at peace from the start.

4. Trauma-informed policies: Acknowledge and address collective traumas to break cycles of fear and reactivity. This is a good starting point as it brings us to a space of shared need for healing and trust is gained through exposing our vulnerability and allows for real growth. This is also extremely difficult when the global culture leans towards displays of power and aggression as it gives the perception of safety.

5. Cultivating empathy: Encourage understanding and compassion for other nations and cultures, reducing the tendency to dehumanize perceived enemies. Turn to the organizations the aim to protect the innocent and feed the needy to understand what this truly means. World Central Kitchen is a luminary in this regard as they rush towards danger of all kinds to ensure the people experiencing a massive collective trauma are cared for. Red Cross/Crescent is another example. It’s striking to me when I hear/read about people cutting these organizations down due to bad actors taking personal advantage and the reaction is to label the organization as corrupt.

Mindset shifts can be challenging as we are wired to protect our ‘own’, and this is born of experiences in our ancestral past that are perpetuated in our genetic code. To avoid the mind trap of becoming what we fear, we can:

1. Practice self-awareness: Regularly examine our motives and actions to ensure they align with our values. In doing this we likely focus our energy on our safety and that of our family and closest people in our lives. During these moments, try and see what it feels like to extend that out further - like, also to those you don’t particularly care for or even can’t stand, and next time even further to everyone in your area, country (even political oppositions),

2. Embrace complexity: Resist simplistic "us vs. them" narratives and acknowledge the nuanced nature of global relations. Avoid attaching any past personal narratives about different cultures in your life or those of your past relatives. This is immensely difficult for many with deep roots in conflicts that span generations, they are deeply wired to war with each other. Extreme intervention of support by global communities that observe this issue is critical for certain populations to break their cycles.

3. Focus on shared humanity: Emphasize our common rights, hopes, dreams, and challenges across cultures and borders. Leading with compassion and a desire to understand rather than judge or impose your view is the best step forward.

4. Promote peace education: Invest in programs that teach conflict resolution, cultural understanding, and non-violent communication. Teach our soon to be shrinking generations about managing themselves on a mental, physical and spiritual level before training them on how to do other things. This will allow for their cycles to naturally break as they mature.