Just as violence is a way of life, so is peace a complete culture in itself. Just as there are methods of violence, so are there clear principles and methods of peace. Two specific methods which are of relevance to the conduct of peaceful activities are tolerance and avoidance. Through these we can understand how the culture of peace can be established and how one's course of life can be planned so that all human beings may find the opportunities to realize their ambitions.

Tolerance: A High Moral Quality

Peace and violence can be summed up in these words: the result of tolerance is peace and the result of intolerance is violence. An atmosphere of peace will prevail in any society which is characterized by tolerance; while an atmosphere of violence will prevail in any society in which the majority of the people are lacking in tolerance. According to the system of nature, violence is neither beneficial for its perpetrators, nor for those who have been subjected to violence.

Tolerance is a high moral and human quality, while intolerance is a descent to the animal level. The act of tolerance is not a matter of compulsion: it results naturally from the doer being of an elevated moral calibre. Any goal one strives to achieve by brute force can always be better achieved by displaying tolerance. When an individual becomes intolerant in unpleasant situations, he considerably weakens himself and hence is unable to deal effectively with problems. But when he maintains an attitude of tolerance, he conserves all his energies, and is in a position to deal more effectively with the matters at hand. Not descending to intolerant behaviour, in spite of facing unpleasant situations, is a clear proof of self-control. One who has this ability becomes so strengthened by it that no one can defeat him.

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Avoidance: The Only Option

It is certainly possible to avoid violence, even although there may be reason to justify the option of violence. This is possible through the peaceful strategy of avoidance of conflict. Such avoidance is the most effective way of checking violence and is, indeed, the most important principle of a peaceful social life. Treading the path of avoidance keeps one within the peaceful sphere, while its very opposite, the way of confrontation, leads one into taking violent action against antagonists.

In the present world no individual or group is alone. There are many others with their own objectives, and they have their own separate agendas. For this reason, they often find themselves in confrontation with others. In such a situation, there are two paths for man-avoidance and confrontation. There is no third option. Now, if man opts for the way of confrontation, the result will be a clash. It is evident from the entire history of humanity that an armed confrontation only intensifies feelings of animosity in people's hearts. It does not benefit either side in any real way. Therefore, the policy of avoidance should be favoured over that of confrontation. The way of avoidance not only saves one from further losses, but also allows one to continue on the path of progress without any hindrance. Indeed, any act of avoidance, appears to be benefiting the other party but its actual aim is to save one from the futility of confrontation, thus enabling the journey of one's life to continue without encountering any obstacle.