Suspend Your Judgment

Eight minutes into Marines, a new documentary series on Netflix, a young recruit looked into the camera and said something along this lines:

"Violence is the only interesting thing in life, that has any significance. Life without it is boring."

I thought, Seriously? The thought flashed hot, immediate. How could someone believe that? How could anyone see violence as noble, as necessary, as the antidote to boredom?

Then the second thought arrived. This man grew up in a world I've never known. Whatever shaped him taught him that violence matters. That it's real in a way peace never could be. For him, a life without violence doesn’t feel peaceful. It feels empty, pointless.

Someone like me, who grew up in different circumstances, thinks that a life with no violence is far from boring. It is ideal. I prefer getting along with people from every background. Violence doesn't add significance to my life. It adds stress and unwelcomed emotions, something to avoid at all costs.