Why Do We Resort to Violence?
Al-Rai, Kuwait, June 27  Last week, chaos broke out in Kuwaits parliament during the vote over the state budget. The disagreement over the vote resulted in a physical brawl that escalated into a fistfight. Sadly, such images are no longer shocking to us. Weve become used to seeing hand-to-hand clashes in our parliament, at our schools, in public gatherings, and even within homes. I dug into this question and was surprised to discover that there are multiple scientific studies on this subject. One recent study, for example, concluded that there is an inverse relationship between empathy and the use of violence: the higher the level of empathy one has, the lower ones tendency is to use violence to settle disputes. Conversely, the less empathy, the greater the tendency to use violence. Notably, empathy doesnt mean agreeing to the other partys point of view or seeing the situation as the other party views it. It simply means being able to acknowledge and accept a viewpoint different from our own. The study also found a strong relationship between personal distress and the use of violence. People who experience significant emotional duress are less able to empathize and are, consequently, more likely to resort to violence. What is perhaps most interesting about this study is the finding that empathy is not necessarily an acquired skill, but rather an innate ability that is present (or absent) to various degrees among people. Its almost impossible to educate our people against the use of violence when the popular culture prevalent in our society is one that condones behaviors such as harassment, bullying, and toxic masculinity. Education begins with the ability to see ourselves in others. It relies upon the awareness that what we do now has implications for our future. If we are serious about building a better future for our children then we must address this problem with all of the resources available at our disposal. Hisham Al-Awadi (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)