Could You Be Happy Without Violence?

I really wish I had thought of such a simple question myself, but I hadn't. Ya know what's interesting about this question? Of the 80 people who have answered to the poll (on forums.ffonline.com) 46 answered no. The question, however, suggests that violence is completely gone. Far fewer movies, almost no video games, a couple sports left, right on down the line. Here's the actual post, minus the first two words.

"If you were to live in a world that was completely devoid of violence, both in actuality, and in movies and art and all other mediums, could you live a happy and satisfying life?"

So could you? Well. I suppose it's not right for me to ask without answering myself, so I shall. It may seem like the obvious answer, but I understand the second point, so I'll explain that too. Yeah. Moderately easily, as well. There is, however, the possibility that no. And I'll even explain that.

So... me. I don't care for violence. It's one of the scariest things I can think of that doesn't really bother me, and I don't actually fear. But damn is it ever close. It's the kinda scary where if you feel it coming, you get all paranoid and suspicious. I feel no ties to it, though. My life would be, and maybe have been better without it. I can see it creating a nice future, too. Take note, though, that this is all assuming that we, as a race, maintain a competitive and forward-thinking spirit and mindset. Should we lose that, due to loss of aggression or what ever other reason, then no, I could never be happy without violence.

So many things we live with now rely on war. We might never have made it to space had we not had the cold war, and the cold war started because of WW2, and WW2 started because of WW1, and WW1 started because Franz was killed. Off-topic, you have to give some credit to the human race, despite violence and bloodshed giving way to violence and bloodshed, it all turned in to positive competitive invention, despite the underlying intentions. It's sad to think that the good had to come from the bad, but it's nice to know that it came, and man do I ever love the sound of good coming from bad (from a philosophical standpoint.)

With that as a starting point to saying no, you have to look around at just how much violence is about us. The last movie I watched in theater was great, Casino Royale. It wouldn't exist. It's mucho violento. I've seen some excellent art that would never exist, because it's violent. Many stories are violent, especially older ones, like those that were originally always told (before writing that stuff down was common.) Everyone would be vegetarian. Football wouldn't exist. The world would be utterly boring.

In retrospect, perhaps we would be more intelligent. Imagine how many years we've spent on violence. How much time people spend making and watching violent movies, games, art, books. It's hard to think of what all that could even be turned into, really. Perhaps the world would be exactly as it is now, but kinder and safer. Or maybe we would be far in the future due to common thinking and massive group effort. Or. Perhaps. We would be far in the past as we know it. Stuck with dictatorship and autocratic rule, slavery; maybe just barely post-feudal era stuff at best.

Bottom line? It's hard to even think of what that would be like. People are naturally violent. It's really just how much and in what way. It's also somewhat hard to draw a line between violence and things like rivalry, aggression, and competitiveness. Someone said that if there was never violence, then we would never miss it, and that's more than likely true, so as it is now, it's hard to make a decision, and if things were otherwise, it wouldn't matter. As it is now, I don't see an end. Ever.

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