“My goal is friendship with the world and I can combine the greatest love with the greatest opposition to wrong.” ~ Gandhi, Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, p. 424
Every human being has dignity. When we teach ourselves to keep this simple idea in mind, friendship with everyone is no longer hyperbole, but a real (and challenging) possibility. Our dignity is our divinity. We can respect and maintain the dignity of others and retain our friendships without always agreeing with them. For a Gandhi, this is the art of living: even while in the greatest opposition to someone, we can keep our eyes fixed on their dignity—and our own. This is really Nonviolence 101: we don’t have to be afraid of disagreeing when we know the respect is there. And if it works for individuals, why not for foreign policy?
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By: Prof. Michael Nagler
As the Founder and President of Metta Center, Michael Nagler is also Professor Emeritus of Classics and Comparative Literature at UC, Berkeley, where he co-founded the Peace and Conflict Studies Program. Michael is the author of The Search for a Nonviolent Future and The Nonviolence Handbook: A Guide for Practical Action. His latest book is The Third Harmony: Nonviolence & the New Story of Human Nature. Visit his website: michaelnagler.org.
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