Conflicting Consequences (of dragons, giants & people in space)

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When I first posted this on my Facebook page I had a lady reply to me with a rather frustrated comment, as she believed that my meaning here was that we should not stand up for ourselves. I soon discovered that this same lady had recently suffered in an abusive relationship and talked about how she would have to walk on eggshells around her partner or face harsh consequence; and that it was only once she stood up to him and walked away that her life improved.

Firstly I congratulated her on finding the courage to leave her toxic relationship as this is (as anyone who has been there will know) not an easy thing to do by a long shot. Secondly I reassured her that the orginal context that gave birth to this thought was not that we do not stand up for ourselves, but rather that if we must then we ensure that we do so in the best way possible; and most importantly that we not make the situation far worse than it needs to be. Because I will always say that if someone seeks to impose themselves upon you, to take your freedom or to otherwise cause you harm, then do not be afraid to resist! No matter how small they may make you feel at times, no one is ever too big! No one is ever unbeatable! And no one ever gets to control you unless you give them the keys!

Take the timeless story of David and Goliath, or maybe something more recent such as the anime series Attack on Titan. In both tales we see a hero taking on a literal giant; a looming and powerful being more than capable of swiftly crushing them underfoot (or in the case of the Titan's, chew them up!) and yet they hold their own somehow? Well it's because in either tale, the heroes didn't win by rushing head first at their opponent with reckless abandon, or if they did then at least had some method to their madness. David used his sling to target Goliath's weak spot to bring him down. The Soldiers from A.O.T did exactly the same only via the use of vertical manouevering equipment that lets them fly "spiderman style" through the air to reach those terrifying giants vulnerable spot, a killzone that once struck sent them crashing to the ground! For you see, that is the most important part here... Having a plan!

My thought was never discouraging the poking of a sleeping dragon, but simply that we formulate a plan for when the thing inevitably wakes up and seeks retribution. For while I say that no person can be so big that they are without weakness, we are being very foolish if we fail to respect their strength. As champion of the Philistines, Goliath killed many people before his eventual slaying at the hands of young David. The same as hundreds of people would go on to suffer truly horrific deaths at the hands of the Titan's before they were finally brought down. These entities were extremely dangerous and exceedingly formiddable and it paid never to forget it. While he could obviously see his opponents weakness, David never once denied his opponents size and strength, but instead planned to include it. Up close and personal he knew he would likely perish so had to keep at a safe distance, so the sling gave him the ability to strike at Goliath's weakness in a way that was best for his own survival. The Soldiers on the other hand were perhaps a little more daring in regards to getting right in their face! Like mosquito's buzzing around your head, they would favour zooming in at breakneck speeds and to hack and slice away at the giant, using the Titan's size against them and their own mobility to their advantage because they knew that the Titans were slow and their senses somewhat dull. Of course many of them did in fact perish due to such close combat scenarios the same way a mosquito gets squished if it's caught out, but of the most seasoned among them, no Titan could hope to last!

In the end they say that there is no venture without risk and it's very true, as all actions reap consequences whether we like it or not; simple cause and effect. But as I said in my last post, there is an important difference between an educated risk and a dangerous risk. For a quick example, take being in space. It's about as hazardous as it comes, and yet somehow we have engineers doing just that on a regular basis; how? By wearing a space suit designed to keep the person safe and let's be honest, the thought of doing it without is nothing short of suicide! Here we understand the dangers, accept them, and factor it all into our planning as we venture further into the final frontier. So the same must go should we decide to instigate a conflict, even should that be as a result of us standing up for ourselves against those who would seek to harm us. For while it could be argued that our actions are technically just, they still carry consequences that may not be in our favour and so we have to accept that, as to do otherwise is to take a walk in space without a suit!

In my own opinion, conflict should always be the very last course of action; if nothing more than to pay homage to the fact that we are supposed to have evolved at least somewhat beyond the simple rutting deer and the feuding wolves.. I mean, we have people in space for heavens sake! As humans we always like to believe ourselves as the most intelligent species upon planet earth, and yet we abandon it all in a heartbeat, in favour of resorting back to the primal and animalistic urge to fight and to conquer! We have the ability to talk and to reason. We can negotiate and empathise even with our enemies. There are so many ways we can resolve issue beyond direct conflict so let's try to broker peace before we start drawing our swords.

But above all else I am a realist and so I know that there will be those who (no matter what) will always choose conflict and have no problem bringing that conflict straight to our doorstep, and so then we face a predicament. For in the story of Attack on Titan the soldiers did not desire conflict, it came when the largest giant ever witnessed kicked their door in (or their wall to be more precise) which allowed the smaller giants to flood into their lives with an unrelenting hunger to kill. In response to this invasion, the characters weighed the options, considered the consequences of failing to act and took the actions that they believed were beneficial to their ongoing survival. Admittedly this is a tale of fiction and so I use it more as a principle and I know not everyone will agree with that sentiment, I also accept that some see conflict as wrong regardless of the lasting consequences they themselves may suffer; that is your right. But in life, so too is it for each of us to decide on our way forward when it's our own dragon that we are facing, and when it's our own stick to use (or not, whatever the case may be.)

© Westley Nash (2018)
#thoughtsofsteel

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Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and view my content, I am most honoured indeed and hope you have a really great day :)

Best wishes
Westley xx

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