The Imposition of Will
By Cecilia Sepp, CAE, ACNP, LPEC
The world seems like it is something of a mess right now with fractured communities, tension on the global stage, and as global communications firm Edelman found, a trend toward insularity. As a student of history and sociology, and a political science major, for many years I thought that the conflict in the world was driven by competition for resources. It seemed to make sense as humans moved from nomadic tribes to small villages to big cities and national identities.
However, I have changed my mind on that position. I have come to the conclusion that tensions are caused by one individual or group attempting to impose its will on another. Rather than fighting over food and water and shelter, our battles are ideological. It seems we humans love to tell each other not only what to do but what to think. This applies to everything from homeowners associations to our workplaces to our places of worship and international relations.
A major theme in religious ideology disputes is “convert or die” -- no discussion, no interaction, no sharing of different beliefs. We’ve seen that with major religions across time from the pantheons of the ancient world to the monotheism that dominates today. But these religious conflicts can also be political; look at the dominance of Afghanistan by the Taliban. Not only are they in charge politically, but they enforce strict Sharia law, and they use their weapons to do it. It’s the same approach used by bullies around the world – do what I say or else.
Lately I’ve been thinking about something that the writer Ben Stein observed: "Why is it that every time someone promises a 'New World' or a 'New Order,' the first thing they do is start killing off large segments of the population?"
When he wrote that, he was pondering the inhumanity of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, and the notorious “killing fields.” Unfortunately, this observation applies to many eras and conflicts, such as the first recorded European genocide of the Cathars. When asked what to do with the Cathar prisoners, the general replied, “Kill them all. God will know his own.”
When it comes to political ideology, we see violent attacks by groups around the world trying to force their ideas on others. “You won’t agree with me? Then I’ll hit you in the head until you do.” So much for civil discourse in society. Some people are longing for the glorious past when we did have civil conversations but I’m starting to wonder if we ever did. Were we politely disagreeing or did we agree so there would be no conflict?
And that is how people impose narrow worldviews– the rest of us don’t say anything and hope that maybe they will go away. The problem with that approach is that they don’t go away because no one tells them that they should indeed go away. And not just away – FAR away.
Societies fragment when an individual or group attempts to impose their will on others. The close-minded among us demand that we not only agree with them, but that we adopt their worldview no matter how silly it is. Ignoring attempts at the imposition of an individual or group’s will is what leads to civil wars, global wars, and culture wars. It can even lead to conflict in your nonprofit organization when members, supporters, and volunteer leaders clash over the future direction because no one is listening to each other and sharing ideas.
I often say that nonprofit organizations of all types are the larger world writ small. Humans, no matter where we are or what we do, tend to act similarly whether in our neighborhood, on the world stage, or in an association. To overcome the imposition of will, we must look at our own behaviors and thoughts. Do we dismiss those who don’t agree with us? Or do we use them to test our assumptions? Can our ideas stand the test of external pressure? The only way to answer that question is to talk to those who don’t agree with us and see if they have a point.
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