why do i empathize with war?

“At 67 years old I find my life has been aligned with the common male's empathy with Lords of War thrashing processes of destruction but not really comprehending why. You may be of assistance in my gradual elucidation!”

Hello and thanks for this deeply felt question.  My answer has been pondered for quite some time as I’ve had the privilege to be the parent of four sons.  This allows me to watch the effect of puberty/testosterone and society on four male beings.  It may take some conversation to express in full what I understand.

There is no right or wrong.  All passions are mere expressions of the force of life itself.  We inhabit physical bodies; symphonies of muscles, organs, bones, fluids and hormones that together make us male and female.  There is a methodic tendency that influences both genders, in part inherent and as well impacted by family, society and hormonal change. 

The misunderstanding and labeling of aggression in males includes capitalizing on the “empathy with Lords of War thrashing processes of destruction” and moves beyond that into stereotyping males as predators and conquerors.  The presence of one is not a guarantee of the other or, in fact, of warlike or destructive behavior on any level. Yet this current environment abuses and exaggerates this predominantly male understanding, with war games, video games and even sporting events. 

This is not to say that women and girls don’t enjoy and appreciate the same.  There are degrees of enthusiasm and natural alignment that come with us when we incarnate.  Whether male or female, these levels of understanding and sympathy exist within us.  Who we are is as much, or perhaps more, inherent than learned.  The tendency to fight for what we believe we have a right to is part of the makeup of the species as a whole.  This chimpanzee warlike behavior gives us a clue as to what is part of our genetic material.  We originate from the same stuff. 

So, why do you feel as you do about war and destruction?  Partly for genetic reasons, and partly for society’s attempt to mold you into a “man”.  There is enormous pressure on you to “man up”.  That means avoid emotional reactions (crying), develop a thick skin, seek sexual conquests and fight for your beliefs, country, family or world.  These may or may not be your own deeply felt ideas of right or wrong, but the constant dialogue to conform has lasting effects. 

These effects are now opposing ideas such as Love yourself, Oneness, Peace and Unity.  How can both be “correct”?  When you consider an idea of complete acceptance of any worldview, they can.  Oneness demands that.  We are entering a time that asks us to question everything we have ever believed and ponder how it impacts all of us, not just some of us.  These are massive shifts in thinking.  Each opinion is valid when considered in the context in which it was made.  Until today, your empathies/sympathies were okay with you.  They still feel okay, yet something inside questions why, when they involve a destructive force such as war.

Destruction is part of creation, contrast is part of life.  We have operated as if it is natural, and in a sense it is.  I watch little ones want guns at the age of two, and without them, build them with sticks for their “play”.  The war games of children are more about setting it all up than killing anyone, yet the setup, the negotiations and positioning is critical to the fun of it.  It is play. An effective warrior can’t afford to sympathize with his opponent.  Sometimes, for the greater good, things have to die.  This is a fact of our bodies and our cosmos.  We watch stars being birthed and dying, a macrocosm of our individual bodies; we don’t question the inherent goodness or evil in it.  It is life.

So, as an attempt at an answer to the question: “why?”, I can offer this.  Because you are human.

Much love to you,

Sophia