Discuss the relevance of the following quotes to the present times. "Wars begin in the minds of men, and in those minds, love and compassion would have built the defences of peace."

War begins in the minds

Negative values of hatred, jealousy, ego cloud our judgement and nudge us to resort to violence.

Eg: hate for Pandavas in the mind of Kauravas led to war in Mahabharata.

Defences of Peace

At the same time, a mind which houses values of love and compassion helps fight away these negative values acting as a strong wall against any tendency to resort to violence.

Eg: Despite facing racism in South Africa, Gandhiji chose Satyagraha & Ahimsa as a route for reformation.

Relevance

1. mental health issues in people can be tackled by focusing on love for oneself to fight away pessimism bias.
2. hate speech and ethnic clashes can be avoided if we cultivate feeling of fraternity and love for one other.
3. love for humanity can help put an end to ongoing clashes in Ukraine and Israel.

A solid reservoir of love & compassion in our minds can help fight any war and bring in peace.

• and engage in healthy dialogue rather than violent confrontations over differences.
• Akbar's Ibadat Khana → debates over different religious doctrines respectfully.
• we must not impose our version upon others and dismiss their opinion.
• we must constantly learn from one another rather than fighting amongst each other.