The long view of peace

Half of this world is insane, best keep your balance. That is a popular saying I heard weekly for at least twenty years. It was said when talking about personal problems, global problems, and getting through the everyday headshaking moments. What helped in such moments was to have a long view of peace.

Common sense of conflict

Two items of common speech that have always been a bit of a miss for me are common sense and the use of the word conflict. First, the phrase common sense. Often people twist the phrase and say that sense is not common. Well for me, I have always believed that sense is common, yet it is has become nonsensical. For example. Societies have always known that mass transit is a better investment than individual transportation. However, in the past number of decades more money has gone into individual transportation than mass transit. To the point where railway tracks were torn up and now that is being seen as a mistake - common sense? Next there is the use of the word conflict. Most times the word is understood as an uneasy communication, fight, argument etc... In reality, conflict is two or more things coming into contact with eachother. For example, a kiss is conflict, shaking hands is conflict, thought needs conflict and so does giving birth. The act that precedes brith is also an exercise in conflict. However common sense would have me believe that conflict should be avoided. Good luck with that because if there is no conflict there is no way any of us could be born. So much for common sense of conflict because the common meaning of conflict is nonsensical.