“The moral framework today is not very useful in terms of analyzing and solving problems.” In our Saturday video edition of Daily Metta Michael Nagler analyzes a quote from Wendell Berry, warning that the moral framework when dealing issues of violence can be playing with fire. It’s a short leap from calling something evil to… read more
Tag Archives: michael nagler
Beyond Techniques: Daily Metta
“Only those who realize that there is something in man which is superior to the brute nature in him, and that the latter always yields to it, can effectively be Passive Resisters.” ~ Gandhi in December 1914, from Gandhi: Essential Writings, by K.K. Ramana Murti This would seem to be a tall order! But without… read more
Love as “Punishment”: Daily Metta
“The only way love punishes is by suffering.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma, II: 87 Just as William James spoke of the “moral equivalent of war,” in the universe of nonviolence there is a precise “equal but opposite” equivalent to every feature of violence. Gandhi hit on this one early, when some teenagers misbehaved in his first… read more
Energy Conversion: Daily Metta
Using Emotional Energy Wisely “We have to slow down on our initial reactions.” Michael Nagler explores reserving and converting the energy of negative emotions into fuel for positive changes. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a way to share the Gandhi’s spiritual wisdom and… read more
Violence is Violence: Daily Metta
And Nonviolence is Nonviolence “Violence remains violence, irrespective of motivation.” Today, Michael Nagler puts some perspective on violence. He also emphasizes that nonviolence is a problem-solving tool all of us can use, regardless of our roles and positions. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as… read more
Innate Non-Aggression: Daily Metta
Innately Nonviolent Frans de Waal’s findings on rhesus monkeys give us some surprising take-aways about the ways that nonviolence shows up in the animal kingdom. Watch the short video for Michael Nagler’s re-framing of the “innate aggression” theory. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as… read more
Kids & Cooperation: Daily Metta
A Natural Capacity to Cooperate What happens when children experience frustration—and how do they treat others when they’re frustrated? Michael Nagler shares insightful research by Joel R. Davitz on school kids and cooperation. That research appears in “The Effects of Previous Training on Postfrustration Behavior,” Journal of Abnormal Social Psychology 47 (1952): 309–15. About Daily… read more
Delegitimizing Violence: Daily Metta
Working to End Violence Michael Nagler discusses picking up with the work that Martin Luther King, Jr. couldn’t get around to: delegitimizing violence. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a way to share the Gandhi’s spiritual wisdom and experiments with nonviolence. This… read more
Dignity + Unity: Daily Metta
“Dignity is connected with unity.” In today’s Daily Metta, Michael Nagler looks at the key to tackling the rise of hatred, the very root of all violence. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a way to share the Gandhi’s spiritual wisdom and experiments with… read more
“Our dignity, our unity”–Daily Metta
“It turns out our dignity is closely linked to our unity.” In today’s Daily Metta, Michael tries to get us to look beyond the surface of hatred toward any particular group to the issue of hatred itself. What causes that and what can we do to challenge it, for the good of everyone? … read more
