One of the defining beliefs about the human story is that of conflict. If you’re ever in doubt, watch any mainstream film, or read any fictional book. Humans thrive on the emotion, passion, anger, fear, and courage of conflict. Its seems written into our DNA.

We look out at the world and we see conflict. Nation against nation. People against people, struggling to horde dwindling resources amid a changing climate. Even in nature, we look and find conflict: survival of the fittest. Only the strong survive.

The silver lining is that through conflict, we find wisdom. Therefore, the conflict was worth it. Necessary even. Conflict is a means to an end.

But what if the truth was different? What if wisdom actually came from release?

In the 1999 film, American Beauty, Lester Burnham is transformed from mild-mannered suburbanite to pot smoking, burger flipping, super hero, finally in control of his own destiny once again.

He finds inspiration (and escape) in the teenage beauty of Angela Heyes. She becomes his muse and desired mistress. Lester challenges himself to win her over, and the conflict is set.

Throughout the film, he lusts after her, in dreams and reality. His attachment is clear.

Yet, it’s not until the end of the film, when he finally undresses her, and the moment he desired for so long is offered. She reveals it’s her first time: she’s a virgin. And suddenly, Lester realizes she is no longer his mysterious muse… she is a scared child.

His reaction isn’t anger, or disillusionment. In fact, it’s release.

He let’s go of his attachment to what she represents: his own inner fulfillment. He let’s go of his resentment towards his cheating wife, he let’s go of his attachment to things and the trappings of consumerism.

He let’s go of it all, and finds peace.

His last words before the film fades out, as the camera pans over the rooftops of suburbia:

“I guess I could be really pissed off about what happened to me…but it’s hard to stay mad, when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst…and then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain.

And I can’t feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life.”

Photo: ABC News

In 2003, on the eve of the Iraq invasion, I protested on the streets of Vancouver. By all accounts it was a large crowd. We chanted slogans. We held signs. We blocked traffic for a few hours. We congregated on the beach. Millions of people around the world also protested on that day.

Soon after, the US still invaded Iraq. I watched the initial bombing unfold like a video game with hyper-realistic graphics. The news anchors wore grave expressions on their faces, though secretly loved to have such compelling footage to share with the viewers.

Five years later, I don’t need to outline the many reasons why the war is a massive failure.

I can’t help but think back to those massive protests and wonder, would it have mattered? If you had asked me then, I would have answered unequivocally “yes.” Of course it mattered. How else can the general populace broadcast their dissent with misguided policies around the world?

But now, I’m undecided.

The Struggle With Violence

The trouble with mass protests is they don’t changes policies very quickly. People tend to get impatient when they don’t see politicians doing much in response. And they have a nasty habit of attracting agitators that may turn a peaceful protest into a tear-gas extravaganza.

Eventually, ineffectual protests may give way to armed resistance. Armed resistance is easy for the government to label “terrorism” and squash without mercy.

I believe Lennon would agree. In I Met The Walrus, an interview captured 30 years ago in his hotel room, and now recently released, he essentially outlines the folly of armed struggle.

The establishment has the guns and the money to stay in power. If the emerging resistance finds a way to topple the government, they almost inevitably establish their own corrupt government and the cycle continues.

So what’s to be done? Without mass protests, how can the populace voice their dissent and change things for the better?

A Challenging Truth

I’ve discovered two steps. First, as Lennon says in his interview, you have to get your own mind right first. There’s no sense trying to create change when you may be inadvertently making the situation worse through the hundreds of actions we do every day.

Second, we need to stop fighting violence with violence. This can relate to mass protest, but it could also speak to how we conceptualize right versus wrong. Left versus right. Democrat versus Republican.

Too often, politics can devolve into one side wanting to be right, rather than a discussion of the issues at hand. Defending one politician over the other, if not done with clear mind and vision, further generates negative energy.

And negativity only serves as the bolster the opposition to further entrench their position (and defend their egos). I’m not saying mass protest should be abandoned, but we need to find a new way to conducting them, to ensure we don’t fall back on the same patterns.

As the Tao Te Ching states beautifully:

“Give evil nothing to oppose
and it will disappear by itself.”

What are your thoughts on mass protests? Are they still relevant?