August 25:

“Act like brothers and sisters and never suffer from a superiority or inferiority complex.”

–Gandhi (Day to Day with Gandhi, vol. 7, p. 154)

Equality to Gandhi was something that had to be actively pursued, as the problem of inequality had sunk its roots in deep into the psyches of society. He felt that the core of much of the violence–not only of colonial rule, but within the folds of religion and personal relationships, was a strong thread of superiority and inferiority running through much human consciousness. When Christians sought to convert Hindus to the religion of Jesus (or rather, their conception of his religion), Gandhi defended the dignity of Hinduism and pointed out that their mission was misguided; it was based on a belief in the superiority of Christianity, which he felt was an insult — ultimately to both faiths. Similarly, he had been known on several occasions to say that the British “did not take India from us; we gave her to them.” In other words, “they came acting superior and we agreed that we were inferior.”

Gandhi is pointing out that there is a consent to participate in the dynamic of inequality, for the moment we realize that as humans, we are not, indeed no one, is inferior to another, violence and domination are cut off at the root. Can we challenge domineering power without recreating the inferiority-superiority complex in one another?  Well, can we really do so in any other way? Nonviolent power does not mean showing our so-called opponents how wrong and inferior they are to us no matter how wrong we may feel their actions are; it means neither backing down nor putting others down in order to prove how serious we are about what we believe to be true and just. Gandhi called this fine line, “the edge of a sword.”

Experiment in Nonviolence:

Do you ever feel superior to others in your daily life? Pay attention and notice how and when. And then, challenge yourself to try to think of that person as your equal.