Understanding Peace is not a purpose or a goal...

[Just_me_Mike]

7 Billion strong with 7 billion individual goals and striving purposes, 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

Can we reason that peace and stability simply exists already, but it is the driving and carrying on of all our personal goals and desires that inhibits peace and stability from predominating.

Can we reason peace and stability would be what remains if we eliminated all goals and personal drives. In a way that smoke and dust might cloud the fact a great treasure waits in the middle of the storm, where dust and smoke represent our desires and goals?

Thoughts?

 

[LuisDantas]

I fear it is not quite that clear-and-cut.

Sometimes it is passivity that hinders efforts at peace and stability. Besides, there is often a fair degree of internal conflict among one's goals and desires.

IMO it takes a healthy dose of discernment for one to realize when to pursue goals and when to let be of them.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

I fear it is not quite that clear-and-cut.

Sometimes it is passivity that hinders efforts at peace and stability. Besides, there is often a fair degree of internal conflict among one's goals and desires.

IMO it takes a healthy dose of discernment for one to realize when to pursue goals and when to let be of them.

I guess to simplify it, consider a sibling squabble. 3 brother and 2 sisters.
The family is going out for an evening at the movies and everyone is happy and excited. They arrive and it turns out the two sisters want to watch one of those dreamy vampire movies and the boys want to watch the latest shoot-em up movie.
The parents however don't want a split up in the theater because it is awfully crowded that evening. The parents end up choosing a neutral movie and they all go see it.

No one enjoys the evening and they go home miserable and hopefully the next day things get better.

Granted such is life, and we face this kind of thing all the time, but if everyone was excited and happy before they arrived we can reasonably assume peace and stability.
It was only when the goals and personal drives popped up that conflict arose.

Now take that example and times it by 7 billion as in the OP, it is no wonder there is no peace and stability right?

Why can't we reasonably assume peace lies underneath all of the commotion that is our goals and purposes?

 

[LuisDantas]

Granted such is life, and we face this kind of thing all the time, but if everyone was excited and happy before they arrived we can reasonably assume peace and stability.
It was only when the goals and personal drives popped up that conflict arose.

Now take that example and times it by 7 billion as in the OP, it is no wonder there is no peace and stability right?

Why can't we reasonably assume peace lies underneath all of the commotion that is our goals and purposes?

I don't know that we can't, but it certainly looks like people seek excitement more than previsibility and neutrality.

I'm not sure it is realistic, or even desirable, to want to reach peace at the expense of motivation. Frustration is very destructive.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

I don't know that we can't, but it certainly looks like people seek excitement more than previsibility and neutrality.

I'm not sure it is realistic, or even desirable, to want to reach peace at the expense of motivation. Frustration is very destructive.

I agree with your hesitation, but how nice would it be to educate the world to the peace that exists there, and leave it up to them to partake in it or not. This eliminates the need for a religion or ancient script to explain the options. If this is true, people can choose for themselves, but if they are not even aware of the reality to peace, they will forever have no choice but to quench their desires and goals.

Why is this important? Everyone knows inner peace can never come from external goals, because external goals are variables. Religions teach this, but so does common sense.
While there is nothing wrong with pursuing goals, because as you say we are taught to do such a thing from day one, and it is hard to go against the grain of our learned behaviors.
However, the importance might lay in the knowledge that when goals and purpose become painful to us, we know where to find peace.
Maybe???