Violence Is a Choice

“Violence Is Not Man’s Nature

“Violence is man’s conditioning which was unavoidable through the process of his evolution from beastly life. Beast is to be pardoned because violence is unavoidable in its life. Man cannot be pardoned, because violence is his choice; it is not inevitable when he chooses violence.

“Violence is inevitable for beasts, it is a responsibility for man. It is a fact for beasts, for man it is merely a historical memory. It is the present for beasts, it is past for man.

“We have the choice in front of us. Man can take a decision to be nonviolent; he can take a decision to be violent also. That is why when a certain person takes a decision to be violent, no beast can compete with him.

“Really, no beast can be as violent as a man can be, because a beast is violent by nature while man becomes violent by planning. So, even after a thorough search among beasts, we cannot get such violent beasts as Genghis Khan, or Taimur, or Nadir, or Hitler.

“If we consult the history of beasts and ask them if they had parallel examples they would reply, ‘We are very poor in that, we do not have any memory — any record — in this matter.’ It is very interesting to know that no animal except man becomes atrocious towards its own fellow-members. No animal kills another animal of its class, does not commit…