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Pacifist or Passivist by Larry John
I like to consider myself a Pacifist…that’s PaciFist not PassiVist. So the other day someone said to me, "Pacifism is useless because a pacifist cannot defend him/herself." Well that is just not so. “A pacifist can defend him/herself. What a pacifist cannot do is be the aggressor. There are three main philosophies when dealing with violence: Passivism, Pacifism and Aggressivism. For example, when faced with violence (or the threat of violence), a passivist will (nonviolently) do nothing and, potentially, allow the violence to occur. A Pacifist will attempt to prevent the violence, perhaps even going so far as to subdue the violent person while taking pains to preserve the well being of all involved. An aggressivist might harm or kill the violent person in order to subdue him or her. In today’s confusing times of war, being a Pacifist gives me options for dealing with the times I live in while allowing me to be logical, reasonable, practical, and pragmatic in my thinking. Think about it.
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