Pro Cure or Anti HIV?
If We Change Our Words, We Can Change Our World.
By Christopher D. Jensen

 

Could our words really affect our World? Survey says yes! If only sticks and stones can break our bones, how can this be possible? We have always been taught that words don’t hurt us but at the end of the day, we know they do. So what does this have to do with HIV and AIDS? It’s what I call our Psychology of Approach.

To illustrate my point lets start with the choice of words and their definitions. Fight: “A purposeful violent conflict to establish dominance over the opposition.” Battle: “A specific instance of combat in warfare between two parties wherein each group will seek to defeat the others.” Anti: “One that is opposed.” Struggle: “To progress with difficulty.” When we look at the words we choose to describe the causes we believe in, it’s no wonder change hasn’t come more easily and at some point in our life we have to decide if we live in a Hostile or friendly Universe.

Our Psychology of Approach when we use those words is a negative one. Some say, “But AIDS, cancer, hunger and oppression is bad and we need to fight it!!”  Well, you are correct, all those things are bad and the World would be a better place without them. The problem is, the definition of a word is a definition of a word and there are no exceptions. The Approach is of lack, limitation and desperation, the fact it’s a worthy cause makes no difference. The words are good for getting people inspired to take action and say, “we will fight till we win this battle!”  It’s not a contest or a fight and we actually prevent the thing we want from happening by focusing on the thing we don’t want, instead of what we do want. Like our transformation into adulthood, we need to put this approach behind us to move forward as a society.

The greatest peaceful leaders all knew this, Mother Theresa would not attend an Anti War rally, but she would attend a Pro Peace rally. Gandhi wouldn’t strike back against the soldiers of the British Army and encouraged his followers to do the same. Why would they do this? Because they knew the war against something, only brought more war. It creates resistance and what we resist persists.

Even Malcolm X changed his approach later in life, but unfortunately not everyone is willing to change and the person that shot him was a former follower. Change is difficult. Most people, if you offer them a truly better solution, are still reluctant to change. But remember, change is the only thing you can count on. Change is inevitable. Further research shows what causes something to change are the little things that have a big effect. How can we actually expect to get the new, when we haven’t thrown out the old? How can we expect a cure when most people don’t even talk or think about it in those terms?

If we change our words, we can change our world. The first step to a cure is not a cure, but it’s how we view our World with a cure. Inspiration is the next step. 365: Inspire a Cure